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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Before we get into today's episode, I want to tell you about another show I think you'll love. Hidden history with Dr. Harini Bhat. Every Monday, Dr. Bhat goes where history gets mysterious. Vanished civilizations, doomsday prophecies, paranormal phenomena and events that science still can't fully explain. Dr. Bot treats these moments like open case files. Not myths, not superstition, just incomplete explanations waiting for a closer look. Hidden History drops every Monday. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen, so you never miss a mystery.
- [00:52]
Crime House Announcer
This is Crime House.
- [00:58]
Vanessa Richardson
We all have vengeful thoughts. Sometimes, maybe we hope that the person who cut in front of us in line or pass us over for a promotion, we'll get their just desserts. For most of us, it's a harmless fantasy, a momentary way to process our pain. We never plan to act on it. But for others, their whole life revolves around turning that fantasy into reality. And in 1980s Mexico, Adolfo Constanzo took his dark thoughts even further. Adolfo was no ordinary man. He believed he possessed strong mystical powers, which he used to exact revenge on anyone who crossed him. And it worked. Pretty soon, Adolfo's power helped him amass a following. And the results of their cult magic were deadly. The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is serial killers and murderous minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.
- [02:18]
Dr. Tristan Engels
And I'm forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history, analyzing what makes a killer.
- [02:28]
Vanessa Richardson
Crime House is made possible by you. Follow serial killers and murderous minds and subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts for ad free early access to each two part series. Before we get started, be advised that this episode contains discussion of rape, extreme violence and murder. Please listen with care. Today we begin our deep dive into Adolfo Constanzo, a cult leader who carried out gruesome murders in the name of ritual human sacrifice. With the help of his followers, Adolfo took countless lives and used his growing power to build a criminal empire.
- [03:08]
Dr. Tristan Engels
As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like how some offenders use occult practices to manipulate others and gain power, how a fear of humiliation can motivate a cult leader, and how some cult leaders are able to convince their followers to carry out brutal murders.
- [03:26]
Vanessa Richardson
And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer?
- [03:35]
Crime House Announcer
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- [04:25]
Vanessa Richardson
what they did to your family?
- [04:27]
Dr. Tristan Engels
You're lucky to make it out alive.
- [04:29]
Peacock Promo Voice
Streaming on Peacock these men are going
- [04:32]
Dr. Tristan Engels
to come after me.
- [04:32]
Vanessa Richardson
Taking them out.
- [04:33]
Dr. Tristan Engels
It's my only chance.
- [04:35]
Vanessa Richardson
Put a bullet in your head.
- [04:37]
Peacock Promo Voice
From the co creator of Ozark Looks
- [04:39]
Vanessa Richardson
like a family was running drugs execution style. Killing it's rare for the Keys. Any leads on who they might have been running for? The cartel killed my family. I'm gonna kill them. All of them.
- [04:50]
Peacock Promo Voice
MIA Streaming now only on Peacock
- [04:56]
Vanessa Richardson
before he was old enough to walk, Adolfo Constanzo was led down a path of darkness. He was born in Miami, Florida on November 1, 1962. His mother, Delia, was a 15 year old Cuban refugee who escaped the revolution right before giving birth. We don't know much about Adolfo's father except that he abandoned the family when Adolfo was just a baby, which might be why Delia sought other forms of guidance for her son. When Adolfo was six months old, Delia took him to see a Palero, which is a practitioner of the Palomayombe religion who's often believed to communicate with ancestral spirits. Palo Mayombe centers around the link between nature and the spirit world. Believers call on spirits for protection and overall well being. They do this through a ritual practice that includes the use of something called an nganga, a special cauldron that houses a spirit called an enkisi. The nkisi offers protection to the person the nganga belongs to. They nourish the spirit by placing things like insects and animal parts inside the cauldron, then covering the top with sticks so the spirit can't escape. While Palo Mayombe is not inherently evil, some practitioners use it for nefarious purposes, including The Palero Delia brought Adolfo to see. It's not clear whether Delia knew this man's true nature, but as soon as he laid eyes on the baby boy, he said he was destined for greatness. He offered to serve as Adolfo's padrino, or teacher, as Adolfo grew up and Delia agreed.
- [06:34]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Delia is a Cuban refugee. She's attempting to acclimate in the United States, but also she's an adolescent single mother. We don't know what her life looked like before this moment, like whether her relationship with Adolfo's father was consensual even, or what support system she has, if any. But those are all psychologically significant experiences that I think can really help explain this moment. Within Cuban and broader Afro Caribbean communities, seeking a Palero for protection and guidance would have felt culturally acceptable and responsible to Delia. It's similar to a christening, for example. The underlying intention is the same. It's to protect a child, to announce their belonging to a particular faith or community, and it's to establish their relationship with their spiritual world. But now, going back to Delia's traumatic history, doing this for Adolfo likely felt more imperative than ever, especially if she didn't feel protected herself, which also explains why she was willing to allow this man that she didn't even know to become Adolfo's mentor. If she didn't have a support system of her own and Adolfo didn't have a father, then a padrino would have been a welcomed addition for her. But also, if you fled the country you came from, were abandoned as a teenage mother, and have little support while you're trying to acclimate to an entirely new world, because this really is for her, then the idea that your son might be destined for greatness somehow can become your purpose. In that moment, which I can only imagine she was clinging to because everything she'd been through, this is something that's hopeful for her.
- [08:19]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo was now at the man's mercy. As he grew older, Adolfo learned that if he wanted to live up to his mentor's expectations, it would require a lot of sacrifice. Instead of playing with kids his age or watching tv, he spent most of his time with his padrino. Adolfo may not have had friends, but he did have something else. His very own nganga, which he kept in a detached shed. He fed the spirit insects, animal parts, and even railroad spikes. However, his padrino allegedly taught him that the most powerful things he could feed the spirit were a human skull and brains, preferably from A recently deceased body. Since Adolfo was just six years old and still in training, he wasn't allowed to do that yet. But his padrino reportedly assured him his day would come.
- [09:10]
Dr. Tristan Engels
This is alarming for so many reasons. I mean, for starters, it's not developmentally appropriate at all. And he's framing human beings as instruments for power and that life is not something that's valuable.
- [09:23]
Vanessa Richardson
He's so young to start that. Well, Adolfo's padrino taught him how to start honing his powers in the form of a revenge spell. He knew Adolfo got bullied a lot by other kids, so he gave him a rag doll made of black cloth. The doll represented the person Adolfo hated most. Then the padrino soaked the doll in rooster blood and told Adolfo to bury it in a cemetery as an offering to the gods. In return, Adolfo's enemy would be killed in a car accident. But it would only work if Adolfo kept the whole thing a secret. It's hard to say if Adolfo actually went through with the ritual. Regardless, he learned an important lesson from his padrino that no one could know the details of what he was doing.
- [10:09]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Like I said, this is so alarming, especially from a developmental perspective. You have a six year old who is being introduced to ideas about power, harm and control. But those ideas are being delivered in a very specific way. They're secretive, they're ritualized, and they're coming from an authority figure that he's been taught to trust. That can have several psychological effects. First, that secrecy or deception equals power. He's told this only works if no one knows. That includes his mother. That means he's likely being taught, even indirectly, to lie to her. Which means he's also inadvertently learning that hiding things or lying isn't wrong, it's necessary. And second, he's learning that other people can be used. The idea that someone who hurt you can be killed in exchange for something you want, that changes how you see other people and yourself. That can cause grandiosity and superiority. And third, power comes from control and harm, not from coping, communication or protection. That's what he's being taught. And when that's introduced by an adult that he's supposed to trust, that becomes his truth. Children don't have the cognitive ability or the life experience to fact check that information or think about it critically. Especially Adolfo, who has to keep what he is being taught secret. There's no one fact checking him at all. Now, of course, one experience like this doesn't determine who someone later becomes Human behavior is more complex than that. But if it's a pattern, if it's prolonged over time, it's being reinforced and it's becoming crystallized into someone's identity.
- [11:51]
Vanessa Richardson
What additional effects could all this have on Adolfo, given he has no friends? It seems, or it seems like very little positive interaction with his peers at all.
- [12:02]
Dr. Tristan Engels
So peers are actually one of the main ways that children learn empathy and boundaries. So if he doesn't have those interactions, or those interactions are mostly negative, then he loses that entirely. He also loses the opportunity to have outside influences to challenge what he's being taught. Because of that, those beliefs can become more rigid and more internalized and also more central to how he understands relationships with other people and with power. And it can very much negatively affect his acquisition of social skills as well.
- [12:36]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo grew up believing that if he did as he was told, he'd grow unbelievably powerful. And in 1983, when he turned 21, it was finally time for him to stand on his own. He was about to become a true Palero. Adolfo's padrino guided him through a weeks long preparation ritual. And when the day of his initiation ceremony finally came, Adolfo's padrino performed a ritual that involved slicing a live chicken and dripping its blood into to Adolfo's nganga. Then the padrino burned the tip of the same knife, burned Adolfo's bare shoulder and cut multiple X's into his body. Once the padrino was done, Adolfo was officially a Palero. Before sending him off, the padrino gave Adolfo one last piece of advice. He said that all good Paleros know how to make money off their practice. But that there wasn't a huge market for Palo Mayombe witchcraft in Miami. Instead, Adolfo should set up shop in Mexico City. So that's exactly what he did. Pretty soon, Adolfo was operating his own business. Mostly casting healing spells or doing psychic readings. And that's how he met his first followers. In 1983, Adolfo met a young man named Martin Rodriguez, who was about 18 years old at the time. Martin came to him for a reading and Adolfo correctly surmised that Martin had just gotten out of a troubled relationship and was looking for his next love. Martin was impressed. It was enough for him to put his faith in Adolfo entirely. Soon they were inseparable. Martin even became Adolfo's bodyguard. Once he had Martin's word of mouth recommendation, Adolfo's reputation kept growing. One day, 18 year old Omar Ochoa and 50 year old Jorge Montes decided to see what all the fuss was about. The two of them were friends, and they went to Ciadolfo together, just like he'd done with Martin. Adolfo gave a spot on reading about Omar's rough home life, and Omar and Jorge were immediately spellbound. Like Martin, the two men began spending all their time with Adolfo, and pretty soon Adolfo and Omar's relationship intensified. The two became lovers, but Adolfo was very clear that he and Martin were also romantically involved and that he wanted to be with both of them. Omar didn't really like this. He was enamored with Adolfo and wanted all of his affection. But more than anything, he couldn't stand the thought of losing him. So Omar went along with the arrangement.
- [15:16]
Dr. Tristan Engels
What you're describing here is a pattern that we often see in high control group dynamics, where charm or charisma is paired with perceived special knowledge or power. Adolfo isn't someone who's just likable. He's demonstrating what feels like real insight to them. When he gives an accurate reading about someone's life, it creates the impression that he understands them in a way that other people don't. And that can feel really validating, especially for anyone who already feels vulnerable or unseen. But if they also believe that he has a supernatural power, he becomes a direct connection to something bigger and something much more meaningful. And that's when the shift happens in high control groups and their leaders, because that's when they set the rules and the followers are forced to adjust to maintain access to them, whether that's through emotional, spiritual or relational ways. So in Omar's case, even when something doesn't feel right, like having to share Adolfo, leaving him would mean losing that connection, his belonging, and that feeling of being chosen by him. And for many people like Omar, that is not something that they're willing to risk losing.
- [16:34]
Vanessa Richardson
What insecurities do charismatic, opportunistic people like Adolfo prey on? And what are some tactics they use to manipulate people into sticking around?
- [16:44]
Dr. Tristan Engels
People like Adolfo tend to prey on insecurities around people's worth, abandonment, loneliness, and the need to feel chosen. They look for the person who wants deeply to be seen, loved or made to feel special. They then start to use tactics that create dependency. They may come on intensely at first, making the person feel uniquely understood, and then they start controlling access to their affection, the affection that they're seeking. They might create jealousy, which may be occurring here because it keeps people competing for their attention. Or they alternate warmth with withdrawal. So the other Person keeps chasing the version of them that felt so validating and affirming in the beginning. And after a while, the relationship starts becoming about insecurity management. The other person's trying not to lose the validation and meaning or sense of specialness like Adolfo is representing for them. It's a highly controlling, coercive dynamic.
- [17:47]
Vanessa Richardson
Well, perhaps to make Omar feel special, Adolfo made a huge decision. In October 1983, he initiated Omar into Palo Mayombe. He hadn't done the same for Martin or Jorge, but he promised he'd teach all of them how to harness the power and they'd do anything for that chance. With that, Adolfo's cult was officially born. Before they knew it, his devotees would be dragged into a world of dark magic, drugs and murder.
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- [18:54]
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- [19:11]
Dr. Tristan Engels
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- [19:22]
Vanessa Richardson
See full terms@mintmobile.com In 1983, 21 year old Adolfo Constanzo lured his first followers into his world of dark. Martin Rodriguez, Omar Ochoa and Jorge Montes had each become spellbound by Adolfo's insightful psychic readings. And now they wanted to help him harness his power. So the group set out to spread the word of Adolfo's mystical abilities throughout Mexico City. And their testimony worked. Over the next two years, all kinds of people were enchanted by his spell, including real estate agents, craftsmen, models and Drag Queens. By 1985, 23 year old Adolfo felt like it was finally the right time to bring his power to the next level. He was going to build an Nganga. He knew basic spells and readings could only get him so far. If he wanted true power, he'd have to cultivate the most powerful force known to the Palo Mayombe. Practice. Adolfo brought his inner circle, Martin, Omar and Jorge, to a cemetery. There they dug up a grave, pried open the coffin, and stole the skull and various other bones from the corpse inside. Then they brought the remains back to Jorge's apartment and placed them before an altar. They were going to perform a ritual to allow the dead man's spirit to take possession of Adolfo. Martin, Omar and Jorge danced around Adolfo and chanted. Soon he started convulsing on the floor, and they knew the ritual had worked. Omar asked the spirit if it agreed to serve Adolfo, and in a strange and terrifying voice, Adolfo bellowed, yes. Then, all of a sudden, Adolfo jumped to his feet. He was himself again, and he ordered the others to bring in the cauldron. He threw in the remains, along with some dirt from the cemetery, a roasted turtle, spices and poisonous insects. Then he doused everything in chicken blood before topping the engang with the sealing sticks. Adolfo was satisfied. The spirit supposedly lived within the enganga now, and it served him. He told the others that as long as they continued feeding the spirit properly, it would do whatever he asked it to, and that through the spirit, he would always ensure their happiness and protection.
- [21:52]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Up until this point, Adolfo's authority was based on what they believed about him and his abilities. But this is different. This is a demonstration. Demonstration. It's designed to feel like proof of those abilities. And this is a highly emotional, immersive experience with all the elements of the supernatural leading to what appears to be some kind of physical transformation. And for Martine and Omar, that can feel very real, especially because they already hold Adolfo in such high regard. They don't just want to believe in him. They may feel like they need to. And because of what just happened, they're no longer just observers, they're now active participants. They've crossed a line together, and now they're tied to both the act and to Adolfo himself, who is now positioned as their source of protection. That creates a very powerful psychological bind. It sends the message that something harmful is actually protective, which is exactly what Adolfo's been taught since he was little. And that's the kind of contradiction that can drive dependency in these types of control groups. Soulful reinforces this by positioning himself as the one who can access and control the spirit, the only one. And by extension, it controls their safety, it controls their well being and even their happiness. And when you go through Something this intense as a group, it can, you know, help to lower skepticism. It becomes much harder to step back and question what you just experienced, because as a group, it's shared. This is control that's being consolidated in real time.
- [23:38]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo gave the nganga its first assignment. To protect the cult, make them rich, and bring him more followers. And that's exactly what happened. Within no time, Adolfo gained a new form of clientele. Members of the Mexican drug cartel. It started when Jorge introduced Adolfo to a dirty cop named Salvador Alarcon. Salvador was a commander in the Mexican Federal judiciary Police near the border between Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Mexico, almost 600 miles from Mexico City. And he possessed an interesting trait. Salvador's face was completely scarred from knife wounds. It made him look like he had three separate faces. When Adolfo first laid eyes on Salvador, he told him that in his face he saw three distinct spirits. With that, Salvador fell under Adolfo's spell, which meant Adolfo now had a man on the inside. He started paying Salvador handsomely to relay messages to drug traffickers. Adolfo told the traffickers he was blessing their risky deals. And when things went well, the traffickers gave Adolfo all the credit. Adolfo's followers also believed he was the reason for the success, especially because Adolfo would perform elaborate rituals before each trip trade to make it seem like he was casting a protection spell. But in reality, he was paying Salvador to bribe border agents. Together, Adolfo and Salvador were investing in the cult leader's reputation, and By September of 1986, it paid off. The head of a major cocaine family, Guillermo Calzada, asked Salvador to introduce him to Adolfo. Soon after, they met. Met? Guillermo asked Adolfo to become the family's personal witch doctor, and Adolfo happily agreed. In exchange for payment, Adolfo performed protection rituals for the Calzada family, predicted the best times for them to make deals, and even cursed their enemies. The calzadas praised Adolfo like he was a God, and he lapped it all up. Unfortunately, Adolfo got a little too confident. A few months later, In April of 1987, he marched into Guillermo's office and demanded a 5050 split of all his profits. It didn't go well. Guillermo kicked Adolfo out and told him never to come back.
- [26:07]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Adolfo's reaction was likely an injury to his entire identity. And to understand that, you have to understand how Adolfo sees himself and how he's been taught to see himself. Recall, since he was a child, he's been led to believe he's Exceptional, chosen and powerful. He's someone aided by supernatural sources. That's what he believes. That also comes with a sense of superiority, like we talked about. So when Guillermo rejects and dismisses him like that, that's a direct contradiction to the identity he has built and the image that he has relied on to reinforce that identity. So in response, people like Adolfo don't always take a self step back to something like that and adjust. They tend to double down on it with increased entitlement, anger or resentment, a need to assert control or dominance. Or they make attempts to prove their power in more overt ways. This can include retaliatory or vengeful thinking. And that kind of thinking is what elevates the risk of escalation.
- [27:10]
Vanessa Richardson
Is someone like Adolfo actually able to compromise with people? Or would his own ego and hubris just take over?
- [27:17]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Yes, they can compromise, but it's often done strategically, and it's when they have something to gain from it. It's not genuinely about meeting anyone in the middle. The issue is that compromise requires seeing somebody or another person as an equal. And if your identity like Adolfo is built around being exceptional or chosen, that's not something that he can easily just do do. It's just not
- [27:45]
Vanessa Richardson
well. Adolfo was stunned and humiliated. He couldn't let his followers see him lose like this. So he formed a plan. Adolfo called Guillermo and apologized for his behavior. As a way to make amends, he offered to perform a cleansing ritual for the whole Calzada family free of charge. Guillermo agreed and invited Adolfo to his home on April 30th. That evening, Guillermo gathered his wife, mother, maid, bodyguard, business partner, and secretary in his office for the ritual. When Adolfo arrived, he was carrying eggs, chickens, and a machete, the exact kinds of things the family expected to be used in such a ritual. He explained that he would purge the evil from their bodies and transfer it to the eggs. Then Adolfo placed everyone in a circle, lit candles, and started chanting. And that's when the real ritual began. Adolfo lifted his machete and started hissing. This was Martin's cue. He'd been lurking just outside the door alongside one other unnamed cult member. When Adolfo gave the signal, the two of them burst into the room with a machine gun, which they handed over to Adolfo. Martin had believed the plan was for Adolfo to threaten Guillermo and force his way back into the business. But instead, he killed every single member of the Calzada family. Martin was in so much shock, he vomited right there on the spot. But that didn't slow Adolfo down. Now that everyone was dead, he cut off their fingers, toes and genitals. Finally, he cut out their hearts and removed one person's spinal column and and two people's brains. He planned to give it all to the Nganga. Once he was done, he told Martin to gather himself. The three men packed up the remains they planned to take with them, then hauled everything else to a nearby river to be disposed of. When they got back to Adolfo's apartment, he explained to the rest of the cult what had happened. He explained that it wasn't actually murder, because the Calzada spirits would live on inside the Nganga. It was a necessary sacrifice for the cult to maintain power. Everyone seemed to go along with Adolfo's rationale, which made him happy. But he noticed something else too. His very first taste of murder gave rise to excitement that felt borderline sexual in nature. And Adolfo loved the feeling.
- [30:20]
Dr. Tristan Engels
So I just outlined that there was a risk for escalation and even retaliation. But this is very significant. And as shocking as it is, it's also consistent with Adolfo's framework when you break it down. He's long been conditioned to believe that harm is justified, ritualized and tied directly to power. So when he crosses that line into murder, it's not necessarily experienced by him as any kind of moral violation. It's experienced as something purposeful and necessary. And at the same time, there's a change in how he's experiencing control. Up until now, he's had influence over people, including very powerful ones. But in this moment, he's asserting exerting total dominance over them, including their life and death. And for some individuals, that level of control can produce a very intense internal response. Not necessarily emotion, in the way that we typically think about it, but a physiological activation that's tied to power and the breaking of major boundaries. And when that response is paired with the act itself, it can be reinforced. He's likely responding to what the violence represents to him. And that is, it validates his belief system, it reinforces his sense of power, and it restores or even strengthens the identity that he's built around being exceptional and in control. What's also important is what happens immediately after he's reframing the entire event for the group. He calls it necessary, protective and beneficial. And that does two things. It keeps the group aligned with him, and it strengthens his own narrative. At the same time, it's also the same framing that he was taught since he was young that made this acceptable for him since he was a child. The more that belief system is repeated and accepted, the less space there is for doubt or dissent. Especially after seeing Martine's response. That reaction would make him want to strengthen his control even more.
- [32:26]
Vanessa Richardson
Do you think these murders might have started out purely actually strategic for Adolfo? Or from your experience with offenders, do you think he was just already harboring a deep desire to kill?
- [32:36]
Dr. Tristan Engels
It's hard to say for sure because he was taught so early on that he needed human remains to gain power. He was already grave robbing to obtain them to demonstrate his power for his followers. So I think the capacity was certainly there. But the timing of when he chose to do this matters too. He just got a injury to his identity and his ego, and that threatened his beliefs and his image and his control over his followers and the enterprise he was trying to build. So I don't think I would call this strategic. If anything, I would call this reactive. He was reacting to a threat to his entire sense of self and everything he'd built his life around. And his framework and pattern of behavior thus far made it easier for him to act like he did on that threat. The behavior is already normalized and it's more importantly, justified.
- [33:34]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo had every intention of killing again, especially when the Calzada's remains washed up on shore about a week later and the authorities wrote the incident off as drug related. Since drug related murders were so common in the area, there was no serious investigation which showed Adolfo just how much he could get away with with. Still, he knew he had to play his cards right to avoid getting caught in the future. But he had every intention of honing his newfound skill to continue working his way up through the drug trade. However, something had awakened within Adolfo and soon his bizarre and depraved desires would spiral out of control.
- [34:24]
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- [34:54]
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- [36:12]
Red Handed Podcast Hosts
if you like your true crime like you like your coffee, Red Handed is the podcast for you. It's dark, intense and might just keep you up all night. I'm Hannah. I'm Saroti and every week on Red Handed we break down a different fascinating case. From the most recent US Trials everyone is obsessing over, like Brendan Banfield, Karen Reid and Ellen Green, to the most unbelievable stories from around the world. There's nothing we love more than digging into every detail of the cases we cover, getting beyond a basic analysis and cutting to the heart of the story. Red handed has over 400 episodes ready to binge right now. Plus be sure to check out our weekly sister show shorthand where we unpack everything from the Black death to Area 51. If you're looking for smart, detailed true crime with personality, check out Red Handed wherever you get your podcasts.
- [37:00]
Vanessa Richardson
In 1986, 24 year old Adolfo Constanzo and two of his followers brutally murdered the leader of a prominent cartel family and his inner circle. Adolfo sacrificed their remains to his nganga and told his growing cult that it would ensure their own protection and abundance. In reality, Adolfo simply loved the thrill of the kill and he was eager to continue using violence to infiltrate Mexico's drug trade. He enlisted the help of the crooked cop Salvador Alarcon to set him up with another cartel family and By July of 1987, Salvador provided some interesting intel. The leader of the notorious Hernandez family had recently been killed. And the heir to the Empire, 20 year old Elio Hernandez, was inexperienced and in need of guidance. Not only that, but Helio was still hung up on his ex girlfriend, Sara Aldreti. When Adolfo heard this, a light bulb went off in his head. The best way to get in with Helio would be through Sarah. By now, Adolfo and some of his followers had relocated to Matamoros, where Salvador worked and where a lot of cartel members were based. Sarah lived there too. So Adolfo staged a meeting which he pretended was was complete chance. They got to talking and between Adolfo's charisma and his supposed magical abilities, Sarah was persuaded to join the cult. From there, he used a false psychic readings to manipulate her into reconnecting with Elio and eventually invite him to join the cult as well. It worked. And once Elio entered Adolfo's orbit, Adolfo convinced him to split his profits 5050 in exchange for protection and other forms of magic. Elio also reeled in a few members of his inner circle. After they were all initiated, Adolfo laid down a few ground rules. He told the new recruits they must obey his orders without question, accept the power of Palo Mayombe's devil, consider all Christians animals and never use drugs. Adolfo told told the group that if he ever caught them using drugs, the penalty would be death.
- [39:14]
Dr. Tristan Engels
We're seeing more instrumental, calculated and manipulative behavior from Adolfo. He went to great lengths to get into Elio's orbit and secure a deal with him, which, let's be honest, that was very calculated. Elio is only 20 years old and he's in a very delicate state. He lost, I think, a family member. I would presume that the leader of the cartel is his father, if he's now the next in line. But he's also having relational discord. Romantically, he's primed for grooming by Adolfo and Adolfo knows it. So after moving in and securing a 5050 deal on a rather vulnerable young man in that situation, considering the circumstances, he set rules and conditions for Elio and his inner circle to follow. And on the surface that looks strategic, and it largely is. He's inserting himself into an existing power structure and leveraging it to expand his reach. It also offer a layer of protection for Adolfo should he ever be suspected of the deaths of the Calzada family. But there's also an identity component here too, because he's very identity driven. His entire sense of self is about being powerful, which is why I think cartels are so attractive. To him because they symbolize power in the same framework as the one that he was raised on. Gaining influence over cartel leaders is the biggest reinforcer of his identity that he can likely get. Because it's one thing to lead cult followers who already believe in you, but it's another to assert authority over individuals who have their own power and their own resources and their own capacity for violence. That dynamic elevates him, and it also helps explain the level of control that he's demanding. These rules are about dominance. He's establishing himself as the authority who can't be questioned.
- [41:17]
Vanessa Richardson
How do you think the presence of the cartel members affected Adolfo's credibility for the other cult members?
- [41:23]
Dr. Tristan Engels
That's why I think this is partly strategic, because it does lend him credibility, and it also creates distance from suspicion. Right now, the assumption is that another cartel was responsible for what happened to the Calzada family, which is an easy assumption to make because it fits the environment. But when no rival cartel takes credit for this internally or even openly, attention can shift. And it's likely going to shift towards someone that's new in the environment, new in their lives, and who is most suspicious. Adolfo's use of Palo Mayombe stands out because he's in Mexico. In Mexico, most people identify as Catholic or Christian. Think about the contrast in those belief systems, and then consider how Adolfo has told his followers to denounce those beliefs as as well. Well, that said, his connection to powerful cartel members can be a buffer. It can make people less likely to question his power and more likely to accept his presence without scrutiny, or at least initially. And at the same time, that association does cut both ways. It may increase his appeal to some, especially those drawn to power or protection. But it could also deter others who are uncomfortable with that association because of the level of risk it comes with, especially if he's still trying to recruit members. Members. If they're not comfortable with the association with cartels, then they might not be interested in being involved.
- [42:47]
Vanessa Richardson
By the spring of 1988, Adolfo was 25 years old. With a cult growing by the minute, he was ready to expand further. So he told some of his original members, like Omar and Jorge, to stay in Mexico City and keep seeing clients there. Meanwhile, Helio and his posse focused on the drug trade in Matamoro. That may, Helio, Adolfo, Martin, and a few others hijacked a truck carrying hundreds of kilos of weed. But it turned out Adolfo wasn't just there for the drugs. He wanted to satiate his thirst for murder. So when the group pulled the two drivers from the truck and tied them up, Adolfo did something shocking. First, he asked the two men if they were Christians. When they responded yes, Adolfo reminded his followers that all Christians should be viewed as animals. Animals. Then he lifted his gun and shot each of them in cold blood. Afterward, he turned back to his followers and said, quote, we sacrifice animals. The others stood there in shock. They were used to violence, but in their experience, it usually resulted from intense conflict. They'd never seen someone take a life so casually. Adolfo's actions were bone chilling, even to them. Them. Their confusion only deepened when Adolfo decided not to use the remains as a sacrifice. Instead, he told the group to bury the bodies. Likely sensing their bewilderment, he assured them the next time they killed someone, it would be for a protection ritual. In fact, Adolfo promised that they were going to build a new nganga, one that was constructed from the body and soul of someone murdered for that express purpose. Purpose. He told them that by doing this, they'd be protected forever. To prove to the group how determined he was, Adolfo said they needed more space for the nuanga. They'd been operating out of Sarah's apartment for a while, which was too cramped. So one of Elio's men, who worked as a foreman at a ranch called Rancho Santa Elena, suggested they use an empty shack on the property. Adolfo thought it was the perfect idea. The ranch was relatively isolated and removed, remote. No one would bother them there. And once they moved all the necessary supplies into the shack, the group got to work tracking down their victim. Pretty soon, Adolfo's close confidant, Jorge Montes, suggested they kill his tenant, a prominent drug trafficker in Mexico City who went by the name LA Claudia. On July 16, 1988, Adolfo, Jorge, Martin and Omar attacked La Claudia in her home. They tortured her while she was still still alive before murdering her and removing her skull and brain. After they cleaned up the crime scene, they brought La Claudia's remains back to the ranch, eager to feed their new nganga. The rest of the cult was there, and Adolfo announced that once the nganga got a taste for real human brains and blood, it would only want that. From now on, the cult members took him at face value. No one had a clue that Adolfo was actually expressing his own insatiable desire for murder.
- [46:01]
Dr. Tristan Engels
And he won't tell them that, because if he did, he would completely undermine the entire system that he's built that brought them to him in the first place. His authority depends on meaning, everything he does is framed as necessary, purposeful and as protective for them. The one time he killed and did not show them it was for a purpose, he saw their reactions. That momentarily, and maybe only temporarily changed how they saw him. And that also threatened his control over them. That is what carries the real risk for Adolfo. So he knows that if he admits that this is all about his own personal gratification, he loses the moral and spiritual justification that keeps them aligned with him in the first place. And once they believe the violence is only for his purpose and it not for them, not for their protection, he's going to open the door to doubt, resistance and even rejection. And it's a group dynamic. So when there's one seed of doubt, it can spread fast if the rest of the group is also already feeling doubt too. So maintaining the illusion is about control. It keeps the group invested, it keeps the violence justified, and it protects his position at the center of it.
- [47:17]
Vanessa Richardson
Why do you think Adolfo doesn't seem to want to really kill on his own? He's always killing kind of in a group. What is appealing to him about doing that in a group setting? Is it knowing he has ultimate power over his followers?
- [47:29]
Dr. Tristan Engels
It's a great question. Adolfo is very ritualized and he needs to feel in control, like we've been talking about. Killing in a group becomes a ritual in itself, because it's shared and he is leading. So it is both ritualized and he's in control. And recall what we talked about earlier. Having them participate in this binds them to him. It strengthens that control because he has leverage over them. It's also practical in some ways, because it creates shared responsibility. He can delegate tasks to make it efficient, but it also diffuses accountability as well. And psychologically, he needs an audience, especially one that believes in him. Every time they're willing to participate and comply is a loyalty test in its own right. Right. That feeds into his sense of control, superiority and self importance. He needs that external validation. That's why he needs to do this in a group and not on his own.
- [48:29]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo was fixated on ritual murder, but he knew that if he wanted to keep his cult loyal and engaged, he'd have to get creative with his reasoning. And about three weeks after Laudia's death, he found the perfect excuse to kill again. This time it stemmed from the group's drug enterprise. One day, Adolfo and his cult stole $800,000 in cash from rival drug traffickers. In retaliation, the rivals kidnapped Elio's brother, Ovidio they threatened to kill him unless they got their money back. And with that, Adolfo saw a perfect opportunity. He told the group that in order to ensure Ovidio's safe return, they needed to make a sacrifice to the Nganga. So on August 12, 1988, Adolfo sent Elio out in his truck to find a vict. Elio quickly picked up a hitchhiker and drove the man back to the ranch. Once there, Adolfo told everyone to gather around and watch as he dismembered the man while he was still alive. Then he told everyone to get out of the shack. Once they were gone, Adolfo likely sexually assaulted the man before killing him with his machete. He then removed the man's brain and tossed it into the cold cauldron. It's not clear whether Adolfo's followers knew about the sexual assault, but one day later, Ovidio was freed. The rival traffickers never intended to kill him, but Adolfo's group didn't know that. They believed Ovidio's survival was the direct result of that sacrifice, and they praised Adolfo for making it happen. Adolfo was high on his recent kill and the adoration he received because of the of it. And pretty soon he found another excuse to do it again. In November of 1988, Adolfo called everyone to the ranch and told them they were going to perform a routine ritual on one of their enemies. He placed everyone in a circle. Then he announced that the enemy was in the room with them. Adolfo accused one of Elio's men, Jorge Valente, of getting high on their supply, which they knew was punishable by death. Without wasting a moment, Adolfo knocked Jorge to the ground and ordered the others to join him in the ritual torture of their fellow member. But no one moved a muscle. They couldn't fathom doing this to one of their own. So Adolfo reminded them that disobedience offended the gods. And if they didn't do as he said, they would die too. Once they heard this, the others joined in. In, they viciously beat and dismembered Jorge before sacrificing him to the Nganga.
- [51:14]
Dr. Tristan Engels
This moment is about a demonstration of control in real time. He gives an order that directly conflicts with his followers instincts and their loyalty to one another. And when they hesitate, he escalates. By threatening death and framing disobedience as an offense to the gods, he's effectively removing choice and compliance feels like the only option to his members. That's power. And once again, he's engineered another situation where Once they cross a line together, it becomes much harder to step away or challenge him. And there's likely a level of gratification from watching this shift happen in real time as well, from seeing resistance turn into obedience. He's loyalty testing them. He's confirming that he can in fact override their instincts, their relationships, even their moral boundaries. This is a very well documented pattern in high control coercive groups, especially as they escalate.
- [52:16]
Vanessa Richardson
What does this suggest about Adolfo's ability, or maybe his inability to form true human connections? Is someone like him even capable of caring for others or feeling bonded to someone?
- [52:28]
Dr. Tristan Engels
So unfortunately, Adolfo was exposed very early on to a way of thinking that frames people as a means to an end, something to use in service of power. And that is a pattern that escalates. It becomes more severe and in this case, much more sadistic. We've started to see a very clear shift toward dehumanization. People aren't valued by him for who they are. They're valued for what they provide. He wants their loyalty, their status and validation and reinforcement. That doesn't necessarily mean he's incapable of forming any attachment. But the connections he forms are likely conditional and centered around control. He needs to have the control. So relationships to him appear to be functional. People are there to serve a role, and when they stop serving that role, they can be discarded or even targeted.
- [53:28]
Vanessa Richardson
Adolfo had seemingly spiraled into mania, and he thrived on the fear he instilled in others. He chased that feeling more and more until eventually, eventually, he met his match. Adolfo came face to face with a victim who refused to bow to his violent tyranny. And as a result, the cult leader's mask began to crumble. Left with no other choice, Adolfo was about to take his biggest risk yet. And it would lead to one of the most gruesome and jaw dropping manhunts in history. Thanks so much for listening. Come back next time for the conclusion of our deep dive on serial killer Adolfo Constanzo.
- [54:24]
Dr. Tristan Engels
Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is a Crime House original. Powered by Paveston Studios Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on Instagram. Crime House. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Serial Killers and Murderous Minds wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference.
- [54:47]
Vanessa Richardson
And to enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of Serial Killers and Murderous Minds ad free, along with early access to each thrilling two part series. Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios, this episode was brought to life by the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro Hero Alex Benedon, Lori Marinelli, Natalie Przovsky, Alyssa Fox, Sarah Batchelor, Dana Rossi, Sarah Tardif and Carrie Murphy. Thank you for listening. I'm Katie Ring, host of America's Most Infamous Crimes. Each week I take on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history.
- [55:45]
Dr. Tristan Engels
History.
- [55:46]
Vanessa Richardson
Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes available now wherever you get your podcasts. Looking for your next listen? Check out hidden history with Dr. Harini Bhatt every Monday. Dr. Bhatt goes where history gets mysterious vanished civilizations, doomsday prophecies and events that science still can't fully explain. Follow Hidden History now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.