To many, Pablo Escobar was a ruthless drug kingpin and a murderer.
To others, he was a savior — a Robin Hood-like figure who stole from the rich and gave to
the poor.
Even today, opinions on Escobar are still divided: on the one hand, he would brutally
eliminate anyone who threatened him, but on the other hand, he donated to charity, built
schools, and was generally well-liked by impoverished Columbians.
His own son, Sebastián Marroquín, has stated that he has to live with "both truths."
"I don't think he expressed any regret at all."
"About anything."
"About anything.
He thought he was doing the right thing."
Nevertheless, Escobar was undoubtedly seen as an innovator as he ultimately changed the
game for both drug traffickers and organized criminals.
At one point, he was even estimated to hold a net worth of $30 billion.
In 1991, Escobar surrendered himself to the Colombian government and built a luxury prison
called "La Catedral" — one that came with a spa, casino, and nightclub.
He called this a "sacrifice for peace."
When authorities tried to move Escobar to a standard prison, he escaped, and a 16-month
manhunt ensued.
On December 2nd, 1993, Colombian troops stormed his hiding spot in a middle-class Medellin
neighborhood.
Escobar and his bodyguard fled to the rooftop, where he was fatally shot.
A bullet entered Escobar's right ear, killing him instantly.
What no one is certain about, however, is who fired the shot that killed the wealthiest
drug lord the world had seen.
This is because, in all the confusion and excitement, no one saw who pulled the trigger.
And although many have taken responsibility for his death, the exact details still remain
a mystery.
Born in 1949, Escobar came from humble beginnings.
In his teens, he began committing petty theft, which included stealing stereos and tombstones.
His crimes would eventually escalate to drug trafficking, and in 1975, Escobar formed what
would later be known as the Medellín Cartel.
By 1980, he was supplying over 80% of cocaine sent to the U.S.
This would make Escobar one of the world's richest men — but despite his immense wealth,
he struggled to be accepted into Colombia's elite.
Escobar had always dreamt of being president and thought his money would give him political
power.
When he realized he had no chance, however, he sought revenge.
Escobar ordered hits on journalists, judges, police officers, and political candidates.
In particular, he was responsible in some way for the deaths of over 1,000 police officers.
Amongst his worst crimes, however, was the destruction of Avianca Flight 203 — 107
people on board died because Escobar mistakenly believed a political rival was on the flight.
In addition, Escober ordered the assassination of a presidential candidate who had promised
the extradition of drug traffickers to the U.S. Escobar's biggest fear was reportedly
dying in an American jail cell, and he did everything in his power to prevent that from
happening.
Ultimately, Escobar's bloodthirsty actions turned Medellín into the murder capital of
the world.
In 1989, the Colombian government created the Search Bloc, a special police unit, to
deal with Escobar and the cartel.
With the help of the CIA, the DEA, and more, they hunted Escobar down and killed him in
a hail of gunfire on a Medellin rooftop.
Officially, they became the party responsible for his death.
However, soon after, reports emerged that Escobar had fired the gun himself.
His son, Sebastián Marroquín, backs this up in his book Pablo Escobar: My Father.
Here, he alleges that his father told him he would shoot himself in his right ear to
avoid being captured.
Others, including Escobar's wife and mother, agree that the gunshot that caused his death
was self-inflicted.
Los Pepes, a group made up of Escobar's rivals and enemies, also takes responsibility for
his death.
It is said that they, too, participated and accompanied the Search Bloc on the raid that
killed Escobar.
Although those details remain murky, a Los Pepes member claims to be the one who fired
the killing shot.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that Los Pepes were working with the Search Bloc, however,
nothing has ever been officially confirmed.
All in all, it seems like no one will ever truly know who killed Pablo Escobar.
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