Manuel Delgado Villegas Spanish serial killer Date of Birth: 25.01.1943 Country: Spain

1. Biography of Manuel Delgado Villegas
2. Early Life
3. Entry into the Spanish Legion
4. Series of Murders
5. Arrest and Confessions
6. Later Years and Death

Biography of Manuel Delgado Villegas

Manuel Delgado Villegas, also known as 'El Arropiero', was a Spanish serial killer who actively operated from 1964 to 1971. Born on January 25, 1943, in Seville, Spain, Delgado was accused of a total of 48 murders in Spain, Italy, and France. However, the Spanish police only investigated 22 of these cases, and only 8 episodes were prepared for official charges in court. Unfortunately, Delgado never stood trial as he was diagnosed with a severe mental illness. In 1978, he was sent to a high-security psychiatric hospital. In 1998, Villegas was transferred to a regular psychiatric hospital, where he later passed away due to a lung disease attributed to smoking.

Early Life

Manuel Delgado was born in Seville, Spain. His mother passed away during childbirth, and his father, who worked as a traveling salesman, was rarely present at home. Delgado and his sister Joaquina were raised by various relatives, often subjected to physical abuse. Although Delgado attended school, he never learned to read or write.

Entry into the Spanish Legion

In 1961, at the age of 18, Delgado joined the Spanish Legion, where he was trained in hand-to-hand combat techniques, including the "golpe legionario," a deadly throat strike using the edge of the palm.

Series of Murders

Delgado was implicated in a total of 8 murders. His first known murder occurred on January 21, 1964, when he bludgeoned 49-year-old chef Adolfo Folch Muntaner while he was sleeping on a beach in Llorac. Delgado stole Muntaner's nearly empty wallet and inexpensive watch. Another victim, 71-year-old Venancio Hernández Carrasco, encountered Delgado on July 20, 1968, while inspecting his vineyards. Delgado asked Carrasco for food, but when he received a lecture about the youth's ability to earn a living through hard work, Delgado killed him. Carrasco's body was later found in a river, initially believed to be a drowning accident, but further investigation linked Delgado to the crime.

Arrest and Confessions

The police began to suspect Delgado's involvement after the disappearance of 38-year-old Antonia Rodríguez Relinque, who was often seen in Delgado's company. After prolonged questioning, Delgado confessed to Relinque's murder, revealing that he strangled her with her own pantyhose during a sexual encounter. He also admitted to four additional crimes. At the time of his arrest, rumors circulated that Delgado suffered from the XYY syndrome, a genetic condition associated with uncontrollable aggression. However, it was later proven that there is no clear connection between XYY syndrome and violent behavior.

Later Years and Death

During the investigation, Delgado accompanied a group of detectives to the locations where he committed his crimes, becoming the first serial killer in the world to be flown to crime scenes on an airplane. Delgado passed away on February 2, 1998, at a hospital in Badalona, Catalonia.