Serial killer paranoia rises in Mexico tourist resort after three women found dead, cops warn visitors

A serial killer may be on the loose in the popular Mexico resort town of Puerto Vallarta. Alarm has been raised after the bodies of three women were found in isolated areas, with cops identifying similarities between the victims that raise suspicions that one person is responsible for all three murders.

On May 10, a woman’s body was discovered near tourist viewpoint Rancho El Piruli. A week later, a second body was discovered at a roadside stop along a highway. The most recent was found alongside a dirt road in the Parque Las Palmas neighborhood.

Serial Killer Fears as Three Women Are Murdered in Puerto Vallarta
Paul Tumpowsky, chief revenue officer for Fora Travel, told The Post that travelers to the area should have a “heightened sense of awareness,not to the point of ruining your vacation
More👇🏼 https://t.co/dqLFZWcf6E

— ❤️‍🔥 ₩łⱠĐ ⱧɆ₳Ɽ₮❤️‍🔥 ₭₳₮łɆ (@WildHeartoO) May 26, 2026

All three women were roughly the same age, all had tattoos, with their bodies found in a state of undress, each with visible “signs of violence”. Presumably, there are other common factors to the killings that the cops aren’t yet making public, but they’re warning tourists to have a “heightened sense of awareness” when visiting the area.

Is there a link between them?

The most recent woman found has been positively identified as 22-year-old Elizabeth Galindo Martínez, but the other two remain anonymous. Investigations are underway to establish whether the victims have any personal connections to one another.

La mujer localizada sin vida este jueves en #PuertoVallarta, fue identificada como Elizabeth Galindo Martínez, de 22 años de edad, quien contaba con ficha de desaparición en el #edomex.
Han acontecido 3 feminicidios en mayo, las dos primeras víctimas continúan sin ser… pic.twitter.com/2CEvL1GIHL

— Carolina Gomez Aguiñaga (@CarolinaGomezA) May 22, 2026

It appears unclear whether the women were killed where they were found, or whether their bodies were transported from another location and dumped. Surveillance footage is currently being pored over to see if whoever left these bodies was caught on camera.

While the United States remains the serial killer capital of the world, Mexico is no slouch. One of the most prolific serial killer duos in the world, Delfina and María de Jesús González, are estimated to have killed between 90 and 200 young women and girls in the 1950s and 1960s in Guanajuato.

Serial killing couples also reappeared far more recently in Mexico with the so-called Monsters of Ecatepec: Juan Carlos Hernández Bejar and Patricia Martínez Bernal. This couple killed, dismembered, and sometimes cannibalized or burned their female victims. They were arrested in 2018, and human remains were discovered in their home.

Frankly, a serial killer is the last thing Rancho El Piruli needs right now. In February, the picturesque town was set ablaze by gang members out for blood following the death of cartel boss El Mencho, with terrified American tourists cowering in their hotel rooms to escape the violence.

Images of the carnage spread around the world and have done lasting harm to the resort’s reputation, and it’s safe to say that murdered women’s bodies being found isn’t going to improve matters. Here’s hoping cops catch whoever’s responsible before another body shows up.