The killings of three young people in Buenos Aires have rattled readers across the world, not only because of the horrific violence that was inflected on three women, but because of the way in which their torture was turned into an online spectacle. Authorities say the torture of two women and a teenage girl was broadcast live in a private group on Instagram, as if their deaths were meant to send a message.

A House of Horrors

The victims—20-year-olds Brenda del Castillo and Morena Verdi, and 15-year-old Lara Morena Gutiérrez—were reported missing on Sept. 19. For five days, their families searched and pleaded for answers. On Sept. 24, police found their dismembered remains in a well at a property in Florencio Varela, about 16 miles south of the capital. Neighbors have since called it the “house of horrors.”

The Murders Are Deeply Disturbing

Investigators believe the young women were lured into a van with promises of a party. Instead, they were taken to a secluded home where they were held, tortured, and killed. Forensic reports indicate they died in the early hours of Sept. 20. Castillo was stabbed and disemboweled. Verdi’s fingers and ear were severed. All three were brutalized in ways that point to an effort not just to kill, but to terrorize.

The Killer Was Trying To Terrorize The Community

And terror appears to have been the point. According to investigators, a Peruvian drug trafficker orchestrated the murders to punish people he believed were stealing from him. A message allegedly tied to the killings read: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.” The fact that the torture was streamed to a closed group of about 45 people underscores how violence is being used here—not just as retribution, but as public performance. The arrests of four suspects followed quickly. Their names have not been released, though officials say one confessed that the killings were ordered by the trafficker. They now face charges of murder, kidnapping, and mutilation.

Everyone Wants Justice For The Slain Women

The discovery of the victims’ bodies ignited anger across Buenos Aires. Thousands gathered in the streets this week, demanding justice not only for the three victims but also for the many women and girls in Argentina who face gender-based violence. Feminist groups invoked the country’s long struggle with femicide, chanting “Ni Una Menos” — “Not One Less” — the movement that began nearly a decade ago in response to the epidemic of murdered women.