Even today, 25 years later, it is impossible to pass in front of El Charco de las Ranas on Periférico Sur without someone commenting that Paco Stanley‘s death occurred there.
It must be one of the most obscure criminal prosecutions ever waged in our city. Suffice it to say that the four persons prosecuted as allegedly responsible were completely acquitted. Moreover, to this day it remains unknown why he was killed.
Interest has been such that there are currently two series dedicated to the Paco Stanley case available on streaming. One is a five-part documentary released last year on Vix, titled The Show. The other one also mixes fiction and you can find it in Prime, under the name Who killed him.
If you were very young when it happened or weren’t even born, you may be wondering who Paco Stanley is and why we keep talking about him.
Here we will answer some of your questions.
The keys to Paco Stanley’s death
Paco Stanley died on June 7, 1999. It happened around 12:00 noon, on the side of one of the busiest avenues in CDMX. In broad daylight, several subjects shot at his truck on multiple occasions and fled.
He died there, from the bullets. His passenger at the time, also a driver, Jorge Gil, was injured by two shots.
They had gone to breakfast at El Charco de las Ranas with Mario Bezares, “Mayito”. The fact that he was in the bathroom at the time of the attack and that he had previously been “nervous” were the main reasons for the then Mexico City District Attorney’s Office (PGJDF) to apprehend him days later as the main suspect.
Along with him, they also arrested the aide Paola Durante and Erasmo Pérez Garnica, known as “El Cholo”.
She was part of the cast of Una tras otra, Stanley’s last Program hosted on TV Azteca. He was detained because he resembled the sketch of the perpetrator: a completely shaved head and a padlock beard.
The fourth defendant was drug trafficker Luis Amezcua, “the king of methamphetamines”. He was the only one who remained in prison, where he was already serving a sentence for health offenses.
The main witness for the Attorney General’s Office was Luis Gabriel Valencia “El Flama,” an inmate who testified that he heard Amezcua, in collusion with Bezares, order the crime to Durante and Perez Garnica. After 17 months of trial, he confessed that he lied under pressure and was bribed by the authorities.
Bezares, Durante and Pérez Garnica regained their freedom. No one else was apprehended or sentenced for the death of Paco Stanley.
Who was Paco Stanley, and why was he so famous?
The PGJDF also charged Mario Bezares for the multiple humiliations he suffered at the hands of Stanley in his Programs. He got fed up and decided to take revenge, he said.
In 1999, the year of Paco Stanley’s death, watching television in Mexico was completely different. The Internet did not reach as many homes and streaming services did not exist.
The two major television networks dictated what we could watch and at what time. Those who paid for cable service had other options. But the vast majority of people had to make do with what was offered on free TV.
And in this context, Paco Stanley became a star. Its greatest successes were the Programs Ándale y Pácatelas with Televisa, and Una tras otra with TV Azteca. He had just left what would be his last broadcast at the Ajusco television station when he decided to go to breakfast at El Charco de las Ranas.
All three were the same: dynamics to give away prizes, sponsor ads, presentations by singers such as Gloria Trevi or Thalía, and humor that today would be unacceptable.
Paco Stanley made fun on national television of the obesity of small children, with first and last names, of the acne of some audience members, his height, and so many things that today we know are body shaming.
But his main victim was Bezares. In one of his most remembered “jokes”, he insinuated that he was the biological father of the youngest son of his eternal duckling. The Attorney General’s Office listed this as part of the motive at a press conference.
Two series on the Paco Stanley’s death
If you want to know more about this controversial case, two series are currently available on streaming.
Who killed him – Prime
This series claims to be inspired by ministerial investigations and real events, but has a good dose of fiction.
Perhaps its main attraction is the many famous names in the cast:
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- Diego Boneta brings Jorge Gil to life
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- Luis Gerardo Méndez as Mario Bezares
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- Zuria Vega is Brenda, the wife of “Mayito”
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- Belinda plays Paola Durante
Jorge Zárate as the prosecutor Samuel del Villar; Javier Ramírez as Benito Castro (Stanley’s friend and musician); and Roberto Duarte in the starring role.
Mario Bezares and Paola Durante have expressed their disagreement with the broadcast, not only because they were not consulted about the use of their names, but also because they consider that it does not reflect reality.
The Show – Vix
Highly recommended! Renowned documentary filmmaker Diego Enrique Osorno created a brilliant piece.
There are interviews with practically all the people involved, from the protagonists to the witnesses, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, president of Televisa, and Ricardo Salinas Pliego, owner of TV Azteca. Also, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, the first elected head of government in Mexico City, and even “El Flama,” who confirms that he lied.
These journalistic interviews reveal that Stanley had a personal and business relationship with Amado Carrillo, better known as “The Lord of the Skies”, leader of the Juarez Cartel.
In addition, the last of five chapters features Mario Bezares’ youngest son, Alan, who recounts the hell of dealing with rumors that Paco Stanley was his real father.