Carlos Robledo Puch

Carlos Eduardo Robledo Puch (born 19 January 1952), also known as The Angel of Death and The Black Angel, is an Argentine serial killer. He was convicted of at least eleven murders (including the killing of at least one accomplice), one attempted murder, seventeen robberies, involvement in one rape and one attempted rape, one count of sexual abuse, two kidnappings, and two thefts. Most of the offenses occurred in the northern area of Greater Buenos Aires. His family descends from Dionisio Puch, a soldier who was governor of the Salta Province, and Martín Miguel de Güemes, a military leader who defended the nation during the War of Independence.

He had troubled school years, where he usually stole items from his classmates. In 1967, Puch was caught stealing money from the secretary's office and was expelled from school. had a difficult relationship with his father. After his arrest for the serial killings, Puch's grandmother died suddenly and his mother attempted suicide. His father allegedly blamed Puch for these incidents, which Puch never forgave. Towards the end of 1969 or early 1970, Puch met Jorge Antonio Ibáñez, Before fleeing with AR$400,000 in cash, Puch shot towards the baby's cradle, failing in his attempt to shoot her. Puch and Ibáñez killed again 11 days later on 14 May 1971, when they broke into a nightclub in Olivos. There, Puch and Ibáñez stole more than two million pesos in cash from the storage room. Before fleeing, Puch saw an opened door to a small room. When he peered inside, he saw two men sleeping (the watchmen). Puch immediately opened fire, killing them both. Ten days later, on 24 May 1971, Puch and Ibáñez entered a supermarket in Vicente López. Once inside, Puch shot and killed the 61-year-old watchman. He then stole more than five million pesos and drank a whole bottle of whiskey with Ibáñez at the crime scene as a celebration for their success.

Trial Puch's trial began more than eight years after his arrest, on 4 August 1980, where Puch faced 36 charges, including eleven counts of aggravated murder. Puch blamed his first accomplice Ibáñez for many of the crimes and stood defiant in court, where he referred to the whole process as a "farce." After the verdict was read, Puch delivered his last words to the court saying: "This was a Roman circus. I was judged and sentenced beforehand."

Robledo Puch later denied his involvement in the murders he was accused of, saying he was tortured and coerced into a confession. He did not deny any of the thefts he was accused of. The only survivor (eyewitness), who did not appear or testify in court for health reasons, said that the man who had raped and shot her had long hair, which indicated Ibáñez. Robledo Puch had short curly hair.

Parole applications and incarceration On 7 July 1973, Puch briefly escaped from prison, only to be recaptured three days later in downtown Buenos Aires. His mother, who appeared in the media defending her son and denying that he had committed the murders, was confronted by an angry reporter who asked her if she believed in her son's innocence. Puch's mother responded that she knew that her son "had done some things [...] but not all of them."

In July 2000, Puch became eligible for parole; he did not submit a petition.

In 2003, Puch was briefly transferred to a psychiatric hospital, where he was evaluated after he dressed as Batman and set fire to the workshop of the prison where he was serving his sentence in Olavarría. After being found competent, he was returned to prison. In 2007 he was transferred to another prison in Azul, Buenos Aires. thumb

In November 2013, he requested a review of his sentence or, failing that, his execution by lethal injection, even though the death penalty was not legal in Argentina. The Supreme Court of Justice denied both the request for review and the request for execution, the latter of which would have been illegal.

On 27 March 2015, the Supreme Court of Justice rejected an appeal filed by Robledo Puch against the aforementioned judicial decision whereby he was denied parole.

In May 2019, Puch was rushed to a hospital from prison after he showed signs of intoxication related to side effects of a medication aimed at treating depression. Puch has a history of demanding that he be executed (even though the death penalty is not a legal punishment in Argentina), including in 2013, when he asked to be executed via lethal injection if his parole application was denied.

In June 2023, judge Oscar Roberto Quintana of the Court of Guarantees and Appeals, turned down his parole request once again, citing that Puch suffers from "inconsistent emotions [...] which could be expressed in an erratic way," adding that Puch also has "paranoid reflections." Judge Quintana also rejected the transfer to a nursing home, saying that Puch refuses psychiatric treatment, and that he has not worked since 1992.

In November 2024, judge Quintana offered Puch the possibility of having more relaxed prison conditions, which included going outside the penitentiary for a few hours. However, Puch rejected the proposal, saying that he was "used to living in prison".

In March 2025, Puch gave another interview, where he asked once more to be executed via lethal injection.

, Robledo Puch has spent over 54 years in prison, making him the longest-serving prisoner in South America.

Psychological profile Robledo Puch has been extensively evaluated over the years. In November 2024, mental health professionals issued a profile of Puch to judge Quintana, who had to decide whether to grant Puch full parole (which was later denied based on the evaluation). The psychologists found Puch as suffering from a psychopathic personality disorder, with a significant omnipotence of narcissism, as well as exacerbated self-value, lack of empathy, large amounts of rage, emotional superficiality, impulsivity, absence of introspection, repressed emotionality, megalomaniac ideation, paranoia and lack of self-control.

Victims Name Age Date of murder 1 Manuel Godoy 23 2 Félix Pedro Mastronardi 35 3 José Bianchi 29 4 Juan Scattone 21 5 Virginia Eleuteria Rodríguez 16 6 Ana María Dinardo 23 7 Raúl Del Bene 50 8 Juan Carlos Rozas 65 9 Bienvenido Serapio Ferrini 62 10 Manuel Acevedo 58 11 Héctor Somoza (accomplice) 17