Cult leader gunned down at altar of skeleton saint she worshipped

The saint — whose name means roughly “Holy Death” — is often worshipped by convicts, drug addicts and criminals, along with other people who feel excluded or are experiencing difficulties in life.

The saint, who is not recognized by the Roman Catholic church, is usually depicted as a female skeleton, and is supposed to protect her followers from death.

But that didn’t work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered a leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato.