What happened to Esther Estepa? Unveiling the shocking 'TikTok Killer' story

The disappearance and death of Spanish traveller Esther Estepa has drawn renewed attention following the release of the Netflix documentary The TikTok Killer, which examines the circumstances surrounding the case and the investigation that followed.

Estepa, 42, grew up in Seville, Spain, but spent years traveling across the country after leaving home in 2013. 

Despite her nomadic lifestyle, she remained in close contact with her family, particularly her mother, Josefa Pérez, speaking with her regularly.

Concerns emerged in August 2023 when Pérez began receiving unusual WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by Estepa. 

The messages claimed she was traveling in Buenos Aires with friends and planned to start a new life there. 

Pérez became suspicious because the messages appeared uncharacteristic of her daughter, and calls to Estepa’s phone went unanswered.

The family reported her missing on Aug. 26, 2023. Investigators later traced her last known movements to the coastal cities of Alicante and Gandía.

Around the same time, TikTok user José Jurado Montilla contacted the family claiming he had traveled with Estepa shortly before she disappeared. 

Montilla said he met her in a hostel in Alicante and last saw her after accompanying her to a health center in Gandía.

Estepa’s family became suspicious after discovering Montilla had previously served nearly three decades in prison for four murders in the 1980s.

In February 2024, hikers discovered human remains near a highway in Gandía. DNA tests later confirmed they belonged to Estepa, and authorities determined she died from blunt head trauma.

Montilla has since been charged in connection with her death and remains in custody awaiting trial. He denies any involvement.