La Dama del Silencio. El caso Mataviejitas

Netflix goes back to its documentary drawing board, venturing out of the United States in search of riveting serial killer cases. This time, the setting is Mexico, and several elderly women are being strangled to death between the period of 1998 - 2006. The case presents its interesting details - the killer could be a woman? There's also the timely bias in the perception of transvestites and homosexuals. Even with multiple officers assigned to the cases, multiple composites to go by, and even a 3D bust of the killer shown extensively in news media and public spaces, the incompetence of the local police force to connect the dots and capture the killer is clearly evident. The government came up with silly solutions like the additional door lock and so on.

A couple of suspects are interrogated and even sentenced for the killings with no conclusive evidence. The actual killer is revealed only in the final 45 minutes. The story then takes a decisive turn, diving into the reasonings and the methods of execution. The killer profiling was correct, and the composites did look quite similar to the real person, yet how she got away with so many murders over the years while living a regular life with her family is shocking, to say the least. The piece could have easily been a bit crisper; however, due time is given to the victims' acquaintances and kin. That's always an appreciable aspect when it comes to documentaries like these. A suspect wrongly accused of the murders is still in jail - another confusing aspect overall (even if she was a burglar). The crime scene recreation (and capture of the suspect) are done with finesse, though the soundtrack could've been better.