Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero. Don Stradley

18

      23  19

      24  20

      25  21

      26  22

      27  23

      28  24

      29  25

      30  26

      31  27

      32  28

      33  29

      34  30

      35  31

      36  32

      37  33

      38  34

      39  35

      40  36

      41  37

      42  38

      43  39

      44  40

      45  41

      46  42

      47  43

      48  44

      49  45

      50  46

      51  47

      52  48

      53  49

      54  50

      55  51

      56  52

      57  53

      58  54

      59  55

      60  56

      61  57

      62  58

      63  59

      64  60

      65  61

      66  62

      67  63

      68  64

      69  65

      70  66

      71  67

      72  68

      73  69

      74  70

      75  71

      76  72

      77  73

      78  74

      79  75

      80 76

      81  77

      82  78

      83  79

      84  80

      85  81

      Part I

      Birth of a Nightmare

      Few things are sadder than the truly monstrous.

      —Nathanael West, The Day of the Locust.

      During the early morning hours of Sunday, April 18, 2010, in the lobby of a hotel in Valencia, Carabobo, one of the best fighters Venezuela had ever produced spoke quietly with his wife. He was a celebrity in his country, a fiercely patriotic man, a proud father of two. Though the couple presented a relaxed picture, the poor woman was probably shaking with worry. Edwin Valero, twenty-eight, had for weeks seemed hell-bent on killing her.

      The hotel staff may have sensed that Valero's circuitry wasn't quite right, and hadn't been for a long time. The feelings of paranoia that had jabbed at him in recent times were now wading in with more withering volleys: the suspicion that his wife was having an affair; the fear that people meant to do him harm; and the fear that police,