The legend of Sarah Ellen became famous in 1993, featuring a vampire woman, a tale of love and revenge, with the city of Pisco as the backdrop for this eerie story.
It was June of 1993 when a horrifying piece of news sent shivers down the spines of the residents of Pisco, a coastal town in the heart of Peru. The chilling story revolved around Sarah Ellen, a vampire woman allegedly buried in the city’s cemetery. According to the legend, she would rise from the dead seeking vengeance, aiming to find a newborn or a young virgin to reincarnate herself and wield her sinister powers.
On that fateful June night, journalists worldwide descended upon Pisco to cover this incredible story. The entire planet had its eyes fixed on the previously unknown port town. It was believed that the very demon himself would manifest that midnight.
The legend of Sarah Ellen first appeared on the television sets of viewers through a morning show hosted by Cristina Saralegui. Her talk show had found its way into the homes of Limeños, and during one episodes, a vampire specialist presented a mesmerizing narrative. He recounted the existence of three female vampires worldwide.
One of them had lived in the city of Blackburn, England. She married to Jhon Roberts, but this seemingly faithful wife concealed a double life. Rumors started to circulate in the streets of Blackburn, suggesting her involvement in occultism and witchcraft. As expected, the conservative English society accused her of being a witch.
It went so far as to claim that during a trip to Transylvania, Dracula himself had seduced her and turned her into his lover. He made her a vampire by biting her during one of their passionate nights. He visited her at night to possess her, and together, they transformed into bats, soaring across the English sky. At dawn, he returned to his coffin, and she returned to her husband’s side.
The authorities in her country subjected her to a trial and sentenced her to death. However, as she was a vampire, they placed her in a coffin and drove a stake through her heart before sealing it. Days later, they banished her, forbidding her burial in England. Her husband had to transport her coffin to an undisclosed location, where no one knew the dark history that accompanied it.
That’s how she arrived in Peru, at the cemetery of Pisco, where she received a Christian burial. However, the second part of the vampire expert’s story ignited fear among the inhabitants. He revealed on the show that, before her death, Sarah Ellen had cursed her executioners, vowing to return from the afterlife after 80 years to seek revenge. That dreadful prophecy was said to be fulfilled on June 9, 1993.
On the original tombstone of Sarah Ellen, located in niche 118 of the San Alberto cemetery in Pisco, her husband inscribed the following: “In memory of Sarah Ellen, beloved wife of Jhon Roberts of Blackburn, England, born on March 6, 1872, died on June 9, 1913.”
The official death certificate of Sarah Ellen, held among the records of the Pisco Municipality, states that she died on June 9, 1913. However, what truly changes the narrative is the birth certificate of Sarah Ellen’s son, born on June 3, 1913, named Tomas Roberts Ellen. This implies that the supposed vampire woman was never murdered in England but died in Pisco due to a heart attack six days after giving birth to her Peruvian child.
Following the failed resurrection, the people asked the authorities from the city of Ica to remove Sarah Ellen’s body. The residents of Pisco barricaded themselves to protect their beloved Sarah, and she remained there for all eternity, thanks to the legend, the city experienced a threefold increase in tourists. Sales of stakes and crosses generated income for this previously forgotten port town.
