Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The police were suggesting that these types of quote, 'working women' were loose, and basically they accused them of just living a double life. So they really kind of tied this back to the culture of the time." — Ashley Flowers
"And when you think about how he was probably set up for a lot of this by police when you have the whole system against you. And now the burden of proof is on you. That is very intimidating." — Britt
"The federal prosecutor to go back to show you what a bad job they did, it was not just ignorance but intentional negligence because of the 205 files that were reviewed in the Juarez murders. 101 of them never even passed the investigative phase." — Ashley Flowers
This episode of Crime Junkie delves into the harrowing and deeply disturbing epidemic of femicide in Juarez, Mexico, beginning in the early 1990s. Hosts Ashley Flowers and Britt describe how a significant influx of factories following the NAFTA agreement led to many women moving to the border town for work, altering traditional gender roles and often facing societal backlash. The situation escalated with a surge in unsolved murders, characterized by brutal violence, sexual assault, and mutilation. A recurring theme is the systemic failure of local and state police to take these cases seriously, frequently attributing the disappearances and deaths to the victims' lifestyles, a practice termed victim-blaming.
The narrative highlights numerous instances of investigative malpractice, including mishandling evidence, dismissing credible leads, and failing to conduct thorough identification processes for victims. The episode chronicles the frustration of a forensic investigator, Oscar, who attempted to connect the dots and identify a potential serial killer, only to have his findings disregarded. The investigation also touched upon the case of Abdul, an Egyptian engineer, who was initially a suspect but whose role remains ambiguous amidst the ongoing violence and perceived police eagerness to close cases. The complexity of the situation is underscored by conflicting theories from investigators, some suggesting a US-based perpetrator while others believed the killer was local.
The episode concludes by detailing the eventual federal intervention, which revealed widespread corruption, intentional negligence, and abuse of power among over 100 state police officers. Despite investigations and some convictions, the lack of proper evidence collection, misidentification of victims, and the sheer scale of the unresolved cases mean that many families may never receive justice or closure. The lingering questions about who is truly responsible, the extent of police complicity, and the sheer number of missing and murdered women—estimated by Amnesty International to be over 800 since 1993—paint a grim picture of systemic failure and ongoing tragedy.