Killing Eve: The real-life ‘psychopath’ who murdered 23 people and inspired Villanelle character
Idoia López Riaño was ‘completely without empathy’, said author Luke Jennings
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Killing Eve’s Villanelle has terrified and fascinated fans of the series with her extraordinary brutality, lack of empathy and vanity – and the writer of the original books has now revealed his female assassin was inspired by a real-life “psychopath”.
Luke Jennings, who wrote the novels behind the hit BBC television series, based Jodie Comer’s villain on Idoia López Riaño, a Spanish ETA hitwoman also known as La Tigresa.
In an online interview for the new literary festival Lyme Crime, Jennings said that when he came up with the idea for Villanelle, he had been reading about Riaño, who was jailed in the 1990s for murders she committed for the Basque terrorist group.
“She killed 23 people, and she was clearly a psychopath and completely, completely without empathy,” said Jennings.
In Killing Eve, Villanelle can often be seen admiring herself in the mirror and treating herself to beautiful designer clothes. Riaño, explained Jennings, is similarly vain.
Discussing a moment Riaño went to kill a police officer, Jennings said: “At the key moment, Idoia, who was supposed to be doing the killings, didn’t actually see him because she was so entranced with the window of a fashionable store and her own reflection in it.”
Juan Manuel Soares Gamboa, another former terrorist, once said Riaño was more obsessed with her appearance than murder.
Killing Eve follows the game of cat-and-mouse between Villanelle and intelligence agent Eve (Sandra Oh), who develop a sexual fascination with each other as the series goes on.
Riaño is believed to have had sex with police officers before killing their colleagues. She was nicknamed The Tigress for her "legendary sexual prowess".
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
The former hitwoman, who is now 55, was released from jail in 2017 after serving a 23-year sentence.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments