Pedro Rodrigues Filho, also known as Pedrinho Matador or “Killer Pete,” was a notorious serial killer in his country and a character who influenced a popular TV show. He claimed responsibility for more than 100 deaths over five decades but was officially convicted of 71 murders. Spending over 40 years behind bars, he garnered a reputation as a vigilante figure, targeting drug traffickers, gang members, and other criminals.
Born on October 29, 1954, in a rural Brazilian town, Pedro’s life began amidst violence as his father had fractured his skull prenatally by kicking his pregnant mother during an argument. This early exposure to brutality, according to Pedro, significantly influenced his future actions. At the age of nine, he ran away from home, initially seeking refuge with relatives before drifting to São Paulo, where he turned to a life of theft and vagrancy.
Allegedly committing his first murder in his early teens by pushing a cousin into a sugarcane press and later attacking him with a machete, Pedro’s violent tendencies became increasingly evident. In his teenage years, he shot and killed a local drug dealer in São Paulo, purportedly in retaliation for a conflict involving his family. Not stopping there, he also hunted down and murdered the dealer’s brother and brother-in-law.
Confessing to journalists that these early killings gave him a sense of power, Pedro targeted individuals he believed had committed wrongdoing. Moving to the outskirts of São Paulo in his late teens, he became involved in the town’s drug trade and took over operations from a deceased dealer, Botinha, the widow he lived with. Seeking revenge after her death at the hands of the police, Pedro embarked on a killing spree that lasted until his capture in 1973 at the age of 18.
Sentenced to 128 years in prison, Pedro continued his violence within the prison walls, boasting of murdering numerous inmates, many convicted of assault or sexual crimes. Claiming to only target those he deemed unworthy of life, he left a trail of death behind him. Despite being given a cumulative 400-year sentence, he was released in 2007 due to legal limits on incarceration time in Brazil, having served 34 years.
After brief stints back in prison for involvement in a riot, Pedro, at the age of 64, professed a reformed outlook, attributing his transformation to Christianity. Establishing a YouTube channel titled “Pedrinho, Former Killer with Jesus,” he shared his past experiences and emphasized the dangers of criminality and the importance of redemption. Despite his violent history, he amassed a significant following on his channel, where he cautioned against the destructive nature of crime.
Tragically, on March 5, 2023, Pedro met his end outside a family member’s house in Mogi das Cruzes, where he was assassinated by two masked gunmen. His violent life and transformation garnered international attention and drew parallels to fictional characters. His unconventional moral code, which dictated his killings, inspired works of fiction such as the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and its subsequent TV adaptation featuring Michael C. Hall.