In the 1990s, a series of brutal murders in Lisbon left three women dead, all named Maria, and the killer remains unidentified. The victims, known as the 'Three Marias', were sex workers in their twenties who battled drug addiction and were HIV-positive. The first victim, 22-year-old Maria Valentina, was found strangled, disembowelled, and missing her heart, liver, intestines, and genitalia behind a shed. Police described the scene as unlike anything seen in over 30 years.
Six months later, 24-year-old Maria Fernanda was discovered in identical circumstances, also missing the same organs, with her chest carved out. Police intensified their investigation, certain the same killer was responsible. Just two months later, 27-year-old Maria João, a friend of the first victim, was found murdered with all her internal organs removed. All bodies were located in the Avenidas Novas area of Lisbon.
Crime scenes contained no blood apart from the victims', nor any hair, footprints, gloves, or bodily fluids. Forensic medics suggested the killer was a loner with no connection to the victims. The FBI became involved in 1993, linking the murders to similar crimes in New Bedford, Massachusetts, home to a large Portuguese community, indicating the killer may have been active in the US before returning to Portugal.
Despite an arrest, no solid evidence was found. Under Portuguese law, the statute of limitations on the murders expired in 2008, meaning the killer cannot be prosecuted even if identified. Similar crimes were reported in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Belgium between 1993 and 1997, sparking rumours the 'Lisbon Ripper' may have been a lorry driver operating across Europe.
