| Psychopaths of Viña del Mar | |
| Birthname: | Jorge José Sagredo Pizarro 22 August 1955 Viña del Mar, Chile Carlos Alberto Topp Collins 25 January 1950 Viña del Mar, Chile |
| Death Date: | (aged 29 and 35) |
| Death Place: | Quillota, Chile |
| Cause: | Execution by firing squad |
| Conviction: | Murder (10 counts) |
| Sentence: | Death |
| Victims: | 10 murdered 4 raped 1 burglarized |
| Beginyear: | 5 August 1980 |
| Endyear: | 1 November 1981 |
| Country: | Chile |
| States: | Valparaíso Region |
| Apprehended: | 8 March 1982 |
| Criminal Status: | Executed |
| Organization: | Carabineros de Chile |
| Occupation: | Policemen and taxi driver (Sagredo) |
| Native Name: | Psicópatas de Viña del Mar |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
The Viña del Mar psychopaths (Spanish; Castilian: Psicópatas de Viña del Mar) were Chilean serial killer duo Jorge José Sagredo Pizarro (22 August 1955 – 29 January 1985) and Carlos Alberto Topp Collins (25 January 1950 – 29 January 1985), both members of the Carabineros, the local Chilean police forces. They committed ten murders and four rapes between 5 August 1980 and 1 November 1981, in the city of Viña del Mar.
When the two men were caught on 8 March 1982, it was revealed that they had only been discharged from the Carabineros days prior, on 4 March 1982. The case became controversial after more prominent people were implicated, but only Sagredo and Topp were punished.[1] Both men were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad on 29 January 1985.
Sagredo and Topp were the last men to be legally executed in Chile before the practice was outlawed in 2001.[2]
There were two parallel investigations during the crime series. One was conducted by the OS7 Department of the Carabineros, which covers Drugs and Narcotics, directed by Mayot Ávila.[3] The other was by a special group of the Investigations Police of Chile (PDI), directed by Commissioner Nelson Lillo.
The key to finding the two murderers was delivered by Corporal Juan Quijada, of the First Commissariat of Viña del Mar, who realized that witnesses described the two men as speaking in an authoritative voice, often used by Chilean policemen.[4] [5] After Sagredo confessed to the crimes, Corporal Quijada denounced him to the OS7 Drug Department.
The trial of Sagredo and Topp started on 8 March 1982. The two declared guilty by the Minister in visit, Dinorah Cameratti, on 13 March.[6]
Sagredo and Topp confessed extrajudicially,[7] judicially[8] and publicly[9] to all their crimes. In this way, both were found guilty and sentenced to death, a sentenced first handed down on 8 January 1983 by the minister in visit Julio Torres Allú.
The sentence was confirmed in the second instance by the unanimity of the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Valparaíso, composed of the ministers Margarita Osnovikoff, Iris González and Guillermo Navas. The sentence was ratified unanimously by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Chile, consisting of the ministers Osvaldo Erbetta Vaccaro, Emilio Ulloa Muñoz, Abraham Meersohn Schijman and the lawyers Raúl Rencoret Donoso and Cecilli Cáceres, on 17 January 1985.
Relatives of the victims, most of whom were leftists who were opposed to the military dictatorship, lobbied against the executions of Sagredo and Topp, since they believed the two men were connected to a higher-ranking death squad. Sagredo said he and Topp had committed some of the murders after being given drugs and promised money by a "crime club" that included a prominent building contractor and five other "executives" who wanted to eliminate political opponents of the Pinochet regime.[10] Only one "executive" was identified Luis Gubler Diaz, a building contractor and member of a prominent Vina del Mar family. Gubler had close ties with intelligence squads during the violent repression of leftists after the 1973 coup.[11]
An investigation showed that a revolver owned by Gubler was used in four murders. The detective told a court that Gubler confessed to two murders while in custody. However, the detective and the judge hearing the case were later removed. Gubler was freed, and a new judge refused to permit any new evidence against him on the grounds that his confession was made under torture.
However, both men were denied presidential clemency by Augusto Pinochet. The two were executed by firing squad in Quillota on 29 January 1985, as was common at the time.[12] Their hands were tied, they were strapped to chairs, and they had circular red paper targets placed over their hearts.
Sagredo and Topp were the last people to be legally executed in Chile, as the country abolished capital punishment for common offenses in 2001.