Crime + investigation
Esther Estepa was photographed with the Spanish social media creator two days before she went missing in August 2023, and her family thinks he was the last person to see the 42-year-old alive.
Getty ImagesOn the surface, José Jurado Montilla appeared harmless.
In photos, the 64-year-old bespectacled Spaniard had a lean frame, with patches of gray hair peeking out of a baseball cap. His skin appeared weathered from age, and his blue Hawaiian shirt made him look like a tourist. But beneath the unassuming facade of a benign, older man lay a sinister secret.
Montilla is a serial killer. And he would continue to strike until police connected him to a growing number of mysterious murders in Spain.
Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America
Weaves together the stories of five infamous serial killers.
Montilla committed his first murder in 1985 when he killed Francisco González, 57, of Málaga, Spain. González was found shot to death in his farmhouse.
The serial murderer—also known as “El Titi” and later on as “Dinamita Montilla” on TikTok—struck thrice more in 1987, when he fatally stabbed and shot a pair of unidentified tourists from Germany and the U.K. Their bodies were found near the popular Caminito del Rey trail in Málaga, according to the newspaper 20minutos.
That same year, the scorched remains of his fourth victim, Antonio Panigua, the former driver of a Spanish flamenco singer, were discovered in his home in the same province, per 20minutos.
Montilla has only admitted to González’s murder, and a motive for the series of slayings remains unclear.
Victims are still waiting for the Bay Area killer to be apprehended.
Victims are still waiting for the Bay Area killer to be apprehended.
Montilla was convicted of the four murders and sentenced to 123 years in prison, but Spain's Parot Doctrine—which applied sentence reductions for prison benefits to each sentence individually rather than the maximum term—allowed him to serve only 28 years. He was subsequently released in 2013, the same year the law was overturned.
Montilla is suspected of continuing his rampage in August 2022 when he allegedly fatally shot a 21-year-old college student, identified only as David, on the victim’s family farm in Málaga, according to SUR. David had encountered Montilla the previous day and told his father and friends that he crossed paths with "an older man who looked very shady," per 20minutos.
Authorities believed he was initially motivated to rob David, the outlet reported.
But the case of David's alleged murder remained cold for nearly two years, until investigators utilized advances in DNA technology to identify what they believe is Montilla’s genetic material on David’s backpack. Montilla was arrested in a bar near the Spain-Portugal border in May 2024 after authorities tracked him down through his social media accounts. Montilla—who earned the nickname “the TikTok killer”—often chronicled his travels in Spain on the respective social media platform, publicizing his whereabouts and garnering more than 3,000 followers under the pseudonym “Dinamita Montilla.”
Soon, police began to suspect that Montilla had upped his victim count to six.
When Montilla was arrested for David’s death in May 2024, police seized Montilla’s cell phone and made a horrifying discovery.
On it, they recovered pictures and videos linking Montilla to missing Spanish woman Esther Estepa.
Estepa, 42, vanished nine months earlier in August 2023 after spending five days hiking with Montilla in Gandia, Spain. Police say he was the last person to see the victim alive, and Estepa’s family members purported to police that she was photographed with her and another man two days before she disappeared, according to The Olive Press.
After Estepa was reported missing, Montilla allegedly reached out to her family through several WhatsApp video calls to inquire about the police investigation into her disappearance, loved ones said. He even went as far as posting a public plea on social media begging for Estepa’s safe return, per the outlet.
Then, in February 2024, hikers discovered Estepa’s skull along a highway median, shifting the investigation from a missing person’s case to a homicide.
The videos and photos—including a series of pictures depicting a naked woman on a sleeping bag, which investigators say suggests rape—recovered from Montilla’s cell phone made him the prime suspect in her slaying. None of the images contained closeups of Montilla’s face or body.
Authorities determined Estepa was sexually assaulted before she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Montilla has denied any wrongdoing in Estepa’s death. He remains in jail as he awaits trial and has not been found guilty in the deaths of David and Estepa. The maximum sentence for murder in Spain is 30 years.
When a woman suffers sudden organ failure, a tip leads authorities to a pattern of unexplained deaths. From Season 2, Episode 12.
Jury selection was as tumultuous as his crimes were heinous.
He committed some of the killings in his mom's house on Long Island, N.Y.
The serial killer was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for six murders.
Lifetime's 'The Dating App Killer' is based on her experience.
Efren Saldivar was an RT convicted of murdering six patients.
Teen Susan Davis and Elizabeth Perry were killed outside Ocean City, N.J.
In 2026, DNA connected Bundy to the 1974 murder of teen Laura Ann Aime.
The murders remained unsolved until DNA revealed a serial killer.
An unidentified serial killer preyed on Black women during the 1910s.
Authorities looked for more remains in Florida in June 2026.
The serial killer took his first known victim on June 18, 1986.
The "Long Island Serial Killer" pleaded guilty to seven murders.
The man allegedly behind seven homicides was caught in 2023.
Whole genome sequencing takes a starring role in a trial.
Paul Allen Perez murdered and abused the newborns between 1992 and 2001.
He has lived in isolation at Washington State Penitentiary since 2004.
He murdered 25 migrant workers between February and May 1971.
Seven girls and young women were murdered in California in the 1970s.
He died by suicide in July 1996 after police issued a warrant for his arrest.
Reid went on a murder spree in Tennessee over three months in 1997.
His crimes led to the formation of an advocacy group.
Edward Wayne Edwards killed his foster child and two couples.
The "Angel of Death" was convicted of murdering 34 patients.
Six Black girls were killed in the D.C. area during the early 1970s.
Moore was the one person Wuornos couldn’t bear to lose.
The ranks include Joseph DeAngelo and BTK Killer Dennis Rader.
"Jupiter Joe" Martinez killed 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano in 1999.
Rader has been serving 10 consecutive life terms since 2005.
In 1999, Cary Stayner, murdered four women at Yosemite National Park.
Rosa Bundy is a private figure connected to a notorious killer.
He claimed to have murdered more than 300 young girls between 1978 and 1980.
The last meals of infamous inmates have varied widely.
DeAngelo is housed in a unit with lots of isolation.
All the details of the serial killer's January 1989 execution.
How the serial killer's youth led to adult crimes.
Edna Cowell Martin reflects on her bond with her serial killer cousin.
Manson’s sons grew up largely disconnected from their father.
Ridgway raped and murdered more than 49 women.
Growing evidence highlights lead's connection to violent crimes.
She was executed in February 1820 in front of onlookers.
Prosecutors alleged the caretaker got a “thrill” out of killing.
Love turned deadly for the Copelands, the Wests and more.
A self-taught codebreaker believes he’s solved two of the most vexing cold cases of the 20th century.
Richard Cottingham’s latest one closed a 60-year-old cold case.
Victims are still waiting for the Bay Area killer to be apprehended.
Serial killers Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway were exposed to lead as kids.
Cunanan fatally shot the fashion designer on July 15, 1997.
'American Psycho,' 'The Cell' and more draw on actual murders.
Why it took decades to implicate Robert Eugene Brashers.
John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy helped inspire the term.
John Edward Robinson sold her as an infant to his brother.
Some unlikely clues took down the most careful murderers.
The killer is infamous for the explanation behind his attacks.
Police took the serial killer into custody at The Last Resort.
Prosecutors believe Kevin Lino murdered two unhoused men.
One person links an iconic movie and a serial killer.
He terrorized two towns in Indiana over a period of 17 years.
Richard Edward Grant claimed his 1980s murders were justified.
Wuornos sold sex to survive—ultimately killing seven men.
Meet four female murders whose stories you won't forget.
He was caught after the 1928 murder of 10-year-old Grace Budd.
The Golden State Killer and the Zodiac Killer top the list.
Female killers' motives also tend to differ from those of males.
Thien Ho sentenced Joseph DeAngelo decades after his first kill.
A brutal crime turned its accused killer into a symbol.
What to watch, read and listen to for more on the female killer.
The killer drew inspiration from the Martin Scorsese movie.
Investigators found bodies of women he killed in barrels in 1916.
Buffalo Bill is based on a combination of actual murderers.
States aimed to balance free speech with victim compensation.
A&E talks with Dr. Scott Bonn, criminologist and author of the book, 'Why We Love Serial Killers' about what he thinks were the powerful catalysts for the makings of a serial killer.
Some of the most infamous criminals in history experienced murders first-hand before they starting doing the killing themselves.
He was sentenced to death in 1989 for 13 murders, but escaped execution when he died of natural causes in 2013.
Nicknamed "The Butcher of Plainfield," Gein enjoyed robbing graves and amassed a collection of body parts that he put on display at home.
Why the serial killer was so well-behaved after being locked up.
What is evil—and how do we measure it?
Others killers who echoed The Butcher of Plainfield's crimes.
The serial killer murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991.
Identifying what Rader says drove him to kill at least 10 people.
The hardware store owner's murder led to Gein's arrest in 1957.
A new wave of storytelling suggests a crossover between the two.
Gein's upbringing might have influenced his gruesome behavior.
Brudos was known as the 'Lust Killer' for his Oregon murders.
He murdered 33 male victims, some as young as 15 years old.
Police are working to ID five of the serial killer's 33 victims.
Victims of the "Killer Clown" shared some surprising connections.
The Butcher of Plainfield's sibling died in a fire in 1944.
The "Killer Clown" murdered 33 young men and boys in the 1970s.
The "Killer Clown" killed at least 33 young men and boys.
Gacy's outward charm fooled friends and family alike.
Gacy's mental state at the time of his crimes was questioned.
The "Killer Clown" died via lethal injection in 1994.
What to watch, read and listen to for more of his ghastly crimes.
What to watch, read and listen to for more of the "Killer Clown."
The "Gainesville Ripper" killed five collegians in three days.
The "Killer Clown" revealed the crimes he’d hidden for years.
Could a decline in testosterone really put a halt to a killer's murderous spree?
During the 1970s, David Berkowitz, also known as 'The Son of Sam,' prowled New York City, fatally shooting couples in cars. By the time he was arrested in August 1977, he had killed six people and wounded seven others. Although the murders stopped after his arrest, several people who worked on the Son of Sam case are convinced Berkowitz didn't act alone.
Watch a video on the life of the infamous serial killer, Son of Sam.
Tristan Balagtas is a Las Vegas-based crime writer and reporter. She previously reported for People and TV news stations in Washington and Texas. Tristan graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! A&E reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.
