A new Netflix documentary, The TikTok Killer, details how social media posts helped solve the murder of 42-year-old tour guide Esther Estepa. The two-part series examines the case of Estepa, a free-spirited traveller from Seville, and the suspect, José Jurado Montilla, a convicted killer who became a TikTok influencer.
Estepa left her hometown in 2013 to live a nomadic lifestyle across Spain, staying close to her family, especially her mother, Josefa Pérez. In August 2023, she met Montilla at a hostel in Alicante. They travelled together along Spain's east coast, hiking to Gandía, near Valencia, around August 20. Montilla claimed Estepa became unwell and left to meet friends, which he said was the last time he saw her.
On August 23, Estepa's mother received WhatsApp messages claiming Estepa was in Argentina, but she suspected foul play. Estepa had left her beloved dogs behind, which her family said she would never do voluntarily. After demanding a voice note and receiving none, Pepa reported her missing on August 26. Montilla then contacted the family, claiming he last saw Estepa on August 21, but continued to call and post TikTok videos retracing their journey.
Investigators analysed Estepa's digital footprint and Montilla's online activity, using TikTok videos, messages, and geolocation data to reconstruct her final movements. Montilla's own posts placed him with Estepa, documenting key moments. In February 2024, partial human remains were found near Gandía, and further remains discovered on June 21 were confirmed via DNA to be Estepa's. Medical experts concluded she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Montilla, who had a criminal record, was convicted of Estepa's murder. The documentary's director, Héctor Muniente, described watching Montilla's TikTok videos as 'psychopathy unfold in real time.'
