AT a candle-lit ritual in the dead of night, a 10-year-old boy is butchered alive as children gather around an altar.
A female skeleton holding a scythe stands at the centre of a pool of blood – a shrine that represents an infamous “narco saint” idolised by millions around the world, including Brits.
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A devotee holds a figurine of Santa Muerte, or Holy Death, as part of Day of the Dead celebrations Credit: Getty – Contributor
Santa Muerte has been dubbed the ‘Narco Saint’ Credit: Alamy
Silvia Meraz was found guilty of orchestrating three sacrificial murders Credit: Mexican Federal Police
Millions of people across the globe worship Santa Muerte Credit: Alamy
The gruesome killing in 2012 was orchestrated by twisted serial killer and cult leader Silvia Meraz as human sacrifices to Santa Muerte – the “Lady of Death” loved by cartel members, sex workers and killers.
Meraz was also found guilty of killing her 10-year-old stepson and 55-year-old friend in two separate cases from 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Dr Andrew Chesnut, a leading expert on the movement, said Santa Muerte is the biggest and fastest growing new religious movement of the last two decades.
Santa Muerte’s following was originally confined to a small underground sect, before bursting onto the global stage in 2001 when the first public shrine was erected in Tepito, Mexico City.
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The movement now has millions of devotees across Mexico, the US, UK and Europe.
The “Lady of the Shadows” is widely worshipped at altars scattered along the US-Mexico border – where bodies are dumped every week, Dr Chesnut said.
Dr Chesnut said: “There’s a series of Santa Muerte altars on the border of Arizona, United States, and Mexico, where pretty much every week, a murdered corpse is dumped at these Santa Muerte altars.
“Sometimes cartel members have offered these victims as a sacrifice. Among narco-devotees, you can imagine there’s pretty dark rituals that happen, including human sacrifice.”
Santa Muerte is the fastest growing religious movement of the last two decades, experts say Credit: Alamy
Devotees attend an altar of Santa Muerte in Tepito, 2025 Credit: Alamy
Followers of Santa Muerte have been linked to a number of grisly killings.
In April, Aaron Arocha, 21, was arrested and charged on suspicion of killing Sheri Tolosa, 44, at her home in San Antonio, Texas.
He admitted to one of his relatives that Santa Muerte “made me do it”, according to an affidavit.
Brit follower Gaynor Batchelor said Santa Muerte “accepts us all”.
The devotee, who lives in Canada, told The Jattvibe: “Death is open to us all. The amount of protection and granting of our desires seems to depend on your request, and your intentions.”
Millions of people follow Santa Muerte Credit: Alamy
A view inside the temple of Santa Muerte and the Black Angel (The Devil) in April Credit: Alamy
Questioned on how she became a follower, Gaynor said: “She found me. She’s always been there.”
Dr Chesnut said Santa Muerte’s appeal comes followers believing she does not “discriminate” – meaning drug dealers, killers and prisoners have found sanctuary in the community.
Other marginalised groups that may not be accepted by the Catholic Church, such as sex workers and members of the LGBT community, have also found solace in following the “skinny lady”.
The Vatican declared Santa Muerte blasphemous in 2013.
A Santa Muerte shrine set up by Brit devotee Gaynor Batchelor Credit: Supplied
Mexican devotee of Santa Muerte shows his tattoo during a pilgrimage in Tepito Credit: Getty – Contributor
Dr Chesnut noted: “Every week for the past 15 years, some priest or Catholic bishop will denounce Santa Muerte as satanic.
“There’s a lot of Mexicans who are scared of her, because they associate her with the cartels. I have a brother-in-law here who is so scared of her, who won’t even say her name.”
Despite this, the movement is thought to have nearly 15 million followers.
Dr Chesnut added: “There is no new religious movement that has emerged that rivals its in numbers.
“Just 25 years after going public here in Mexico City in 2001, there are some 13 to 14 million devotees, which is [nearly] the same size as the worldwide Jewish population.”
The expert, who wrote the first book detailing the movement, said the two European countries with the biggest Santa Muerte followings were Italy and the UK.
“There’s thousands of British devotees, and they’re not exclusively Mexican or Colombian immigrants, they’re also native-born, English, Scottish, Irish devotees,” he said.
“She cuts across borders… she has that natural international appeal to people of all different nationalities, sexual orientations, career choices – death never discriminates.”
On her popularity among gangsters, he said: “There’s no denying that she is popular with Mexican cartel members.
“Why? Well, if you look at her iconography, I mean, she’s basically a female Grim Reaper, I call her the Grim Reaperess.”
Dr Chesnut explained: “People believe that you can ask her for any kind of miracle, and so a lot of cartel members ask her either for protection, for a few more days, months, or years in her hourglass of life, or to bring deathupon their rival cartel members or law enforcement.
“In theory, you can ask her for any type of favour or miracle… if you need your fentanyl to arrive safely in Vancouver, apparently you can ask her for that.”
Despite being labelled as a cult, Santa Muerte was described Dr Chesnut as a religious movement, due to its lack of hierarchy or structure.
But some devotees take their beliefs to extreme levels – such as carrying out human sacrifices.
Dr Chesnut said the rate of killings linked to the movement was increasing – most likely due to the growing size of the following.
One follower he met converted to “Lady Death” after a hair-raising brush with a brutal drug gang.
The man was snatched off the streets by ruthless cartel thugs – but claimed his captors miraculously let him walk after he prayed to Santa Muerte.
Today, the following behind the “Grim Reaperess” shows no signs of slowing down.
She may offer a judgement-free sanctuary for millions of outcasts and gangsters alike.
But those caught up with her most fanatical followers could face a very real brush with death.
