World

Puerto Vallarta Is Investigating Whether a Serial Killer Is Targeting Women at the Popular Tourist Destination

By Mike Harper · May 26, 2026

Three women have been found dead in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico over an 11-day period, and police are investigating whether the killings are connected — raising fears about a possible serial offender in one of the most popular tourist destinations for American travelers.

The first victim was discovered on May 10 near Rancho El Pirulí, a well-known viewpoint in the Chimborazo area of the city. A second woman’s body was found five days later at a roadside stop along the highway to Mismaloya. The third and most recent victim was discovered Thursday morning on a dirt road in the Parque Las Palmas neighborhood off Camino Viejo a Mojoneras.

All three women are believed to have been between 30 and 35 years old. All three were found partially undressed in isolated or lightly traveled areas of the city. All three had tattoos. As of Monday, none of the women had been officially identified.

Investigators from the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s office and local police departments are reviewing forensic evidence, surveillance footage, and police reports connected to each case. They are also exploring the possibility that the victims were killed elsewhere and their bodies transported to Puerto Vallarta — which would change the nature of the investigation significantly. No suspect has been identified. No formal conclusion about whether the cases are connected has been announced.

“The investigation remains in its early stages,” Jalisco investigators said in a statement, stressing that “every line of investigation remains open” and that no conclusion had been reached about whether a single suspect is responsible.

Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media suggest the third victim may be Elizabeth Martinez, a 22-year-old woman from the State of México who was reported missing in April. The most recent victim had distinctive tattoos on her neck, hand, and arm — a skull, a woman with horns, and a name — that police believe may assist with identification. Her family has not publicly confirmed her identity.

The killings are generating significant concern both locally and internationally, in part because of the timing. Puerto Vallarta is still recovering reputationally from a cartel retaliation incident in late February in which buses were burned, stores were looted, flights were canceled, and American tourists were stranded in the city after the reported killing of El Mencho, the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. That incident prompted travel warnings and cancellations throughout the spring season.

Paul Tumpowsky, chief revenue officer for travel agency Fora Travel, told the New York Post that the serial killer speculation — regardless of whether it is confirmed — risks compounding the damage to the city’s reputation at a time when it was already struggling to reassure tourists that the cartel unrest had passed.

Puerto Vallarta receives approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. A significant portion are Americans, many of whom travel there on direct flights from major US cities including Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Dallas. The US State Department currently has a Level 2 travel advisory for Jalisco state — “Exercise Increased Caution” — unchanged since before either this month’s killings or February’s cartel unrest.

For travelers who have trips to Puerto Vallarta planned, the State Department advisory and any updates from local authorities are the most current official guidance available. The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.