Pedro Rodrigues Filho: The Brazilian Serial Killer Who Claimed to Have Killed More Than 100 People

Pedro Rodrigues Filho, better known as “Pedrinho Matador,” became one of Brazil’s most notorious serial killers, with a criminal history that included dozens of murders and years spent behind bars. His story drew widespread attention because of the extraordinary number of killings attributed to him and his claim that he targeted people he considered dangerous criminals.

Born on October 29, 1954, in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Rodrigues Filho reportedly committed his first murder at just 14 years old. One of his early victims was a deputy mayor whom he blamed for his father’s dismissal from a school security job.

Over the years, his criminal record grew. He was convicted of numerous murders and became infamous for violence committed both outside prison and while incarcerated. He reportedly claimed to have killed more than 100 people, including his own father. However, the number of victims he personally claimed is higher than the number of killings formally documented in available accounts.

Rodrigues Filho gained a particularly disturbing reputation for presenting himself as someone who punished other criminals. He claimed that many of his victims were people he believed deserved to die, including murderers and other violent offenders. This reputation led some media outlets to compare him to fictional vigilantes, although his actions were real crimes that caused devastating harm.

He was arrested in 1973 and spent decades in prison. His sentences reportedly totaled well over a century, but Brazil’s legal limits on time served meant he did not remain incarcerated for the full combined length of those sentences. He was released in 2007, imprisoned again in 2011 over other offenses, and released once more in 2018.

After his release, Rodrigues Filho developed an online following and appeared in interviews discussing his life and crimes. His public persona continued to attract attention, but his claims about the number of people he killed remain difficult to independently verify.

On March 5, 2023, Rodrigues Filho was shot and killed in Mogi das Cruzes, in the São Paulo metropolitan region, at the age of 68. Authorities investigated his death as a homicide. His violent end brought renewed attention to a life marked by murder, imprisonment and a notoriety that extended far beyond Brazil.

His story remains a chilling example of how a criminal can become a media figure, while also highlighting an important distinction: claims made by a notorious killer should not automatically be treated as verified facts.

Source: curioustic