Cayetano Santos Godino

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Cayetano Santos Godino, aliased "petiso orejudo" ("big eared midget") (Buenos Aires, 31 October 1896- Ushuaia, 15 November 1944), was a serial killer who terrified the Argentinian city of Buenos Aires when just sixteen years of age. In the early 20th century he was liable for the murder of four children, the attempted murder of another seven children, and the arson of seven buildings.

[edit] Biography

"Petiso Orejudo" in Ushuaia
"Petiso Orejudo" in Ushuaia

On 26 January 1912 Arturo Laurona, 13, was found dead in an abandoned house. On 7 March Godino set fire to the dress of Reyna Vainicoff, 5 years old, who did not recover and died some days later. In late September he set fire to a railway station, which was extinguished without extensive damage. On 8 November he tried to choke Roberto Russo, 8 years old. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder but was released until the trial. On 16 November he hit Carmen Ghittoni, who suffered minor wounds before a police officer intervened. On 20 November he kidnapped Carolina Neolener, who cried out and was rescued by a neighbour. Later in the same month he set fire to two large sheds which were extinguished quickly.

On 3 December 1912, Godino saw Jesualdo Giordano playing outside his house, and offered to buy the boy some sweets to convince him to go with him. Providing a few sweets then offering more, Godino took Giordano to a country house. When they were inside, he threw him to floor and unsuccessfully tried to choke him with his belt. Then he cut his belt and tied his hands and legs. He started beating him and considered hammering his head. He left the house looking for a nail and saw Giordano's father, to whom he said he did not know where the child was. He then re-entered the house with the nail. He hammered it into the side of Giordano's skull and hid the corpse. The body was found by the father minutes later. At 8PM Cayetano went to the wake and touched the skull where he had fixed the nail. At 5:30 AM on 4 December he was arrested by police, confessing his crimes.

[edit] Jail

On 4 January 1913 he entered a reformatory, where he tried to kill some of the inmates. Due to medical reports, which declared him insane, the judge discontinued the case and ordered him to stay in the reformatory. On 12 November 1915 an appeal was approved ordering him to be moved to jail on 20 November.

On 28 March 1923 Godino was transferred to Ushuaia Penitentiary. During the course of 1933 he spent some time in hospital for a beating he suffered from inmates due to having killed two cats which were their pets. From 1935 onwards he was always ill and received no visitors until he died on 1944 in strange circumstances.

[edit] Sources

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