Francisca Ballesteros
Encyclopedia
Francisca Ballesteros is a Spanish
serial killer
who between 1990 and 2004 killed her two daughters and her husband and attempted to kill her son.
.
After marrying Antonio González Barribino, Ballesteros gave birth to a girl named Florinda. In 1990, Ballesteros suffered from postpartum depression
and wanted to end her marriage
, but she finally desisted. She decided to kill her family and flee to Valencia. Ballesteros poisoned Florinda, who was only five months old, with Colme, a drug used to treat alcoholism
. After the death of the baby, Ballesteros decided to wait to kill the rest of her family.
In 2004, 14 years after murdering her daughter, Ballesteros, who had met many men through Internet
, decided to kill the rest of her family, flee to the city where one of the men that she had met online was living, and marry him. On 12 January 2004 Ballesteros killed her husband Antonio González Barribino with Colme and with the sedative
s Zolpidem
and Bromazepam
. On 4 June 2004, Ballesteros killed her daughter Sandra with the same medications and attempted to kill her 12-year old son Antonio, who was admitted to the hospital with poison
ing on June 4, 2004. The autopsy
, of her daughter Sandra, revealed that she had been poisoned.
On June 7, 2004 Ballesteros was arrested and confessed to the murders.
On September 26, 2005, Francisca Ballesteros was sentenced to a term of 84 years in prison.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who between 1990 and 2004 killed her two daughters and her husband and attempted to kill her son.
Crimes history
Francisca Ballesteros was born in Valencia. A few years later, she moved to MelillaMelilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
.
After marrying Antonio González Barribino, Ballesteros gave birth to a girl named Florinda. In 1990, Ballesteros suffered from postpartum depression
Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression , also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual...
and wanted to end her marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, but she finally desisted. She decided to kill her family and flee to Valencia. Ballesteros poisoned Florinda, who was only five months old, with Colme, a drug used to treat alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. After the death of the baby, Ballesteros decided to wait to kill the rest of her family.
In 2004, 14 years after murdering her daughter, Ballesteros, who had met many men through Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, decided to kill the rest of her family, flee to the city where one of the men that she had met online was living, and marry him. On 12 January 2004 Ballesteros killed her husband Antonio González Barribino with Colme and with the sedative
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
s Zolpidem
Zolpidem
Zolpidem is a prescription medication used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as well as some brain disorders. It is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class that potentiates gamma-aminobutyric acid , an inhibitory neurotransmitter, by binding to GABAA...
and Bromazepam
Bromazepam
Bromazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative drug, patented by Roche in the 1963 and developed clinically in the 1970s...
. On 4 June 2004, Ballesteros killed her daughter Sandra with the same medications and attempted to kill her 12-year old son Antonio, who was admitted to the hospital with poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing on June 4, 2004. The autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
, of her daughter Sandra, revealed that she had been poisoned.
On June 7, 2004 Ballesteros was arrested and confessed to the murders.
On September 26, 2005, Francisca Ballesteros was sentenced to a term of 84 years in prison.
External links
- “Black widow” jailed for 84 years Tenerife NewsTenerife NewsThe Tenerife News is a fortnightly English language newspaper published by Seven Island Media Group S.L. Printed in tabloid format, the paper focuses on local news concerning the Canary Island of Tenerife, but also includes coverage of Spanish Politics and International Affairs, sports and leisure...