Infamous Vigilante Killer Pedro Rodrigues Filho Shot Dead In Brazil

Known as “Pedrinho Matador,” he claimed to have killed over 100 criminals and gained social media fame after his release from prison in 2018. 

His death has sparked controversy in Brazil, with some praising his actions while others condemn his violence. Rodrigues’s story sheds light on the country’s ongoing issues of crime and justice.

On March 6, authorities reported that Pedro Rodrigues Filho, a self-proclaimed vigilante murderer who gained notoriety in Brazil for claiming to have killed over 100 victims, primarily drug dealers, rapists, and other criminals, was killed by multiple gunshot wounds near Sao Paulo. 

Rodrigues, also known as “Pedrinho Matador” or “Little Pedro the Killer,” spent 42 years in prison for homicide and had just been released in 2018, starting a new life as a social media influencer with over 250,000 followers on the video app Kwai.

Rodrigues gained widespread media attention in Brazil for his confessions of killing criminals who he believed had escaped justice.

He was called “Brazil’s biggest serial killer” and was often compared to the fictional character Dexter, from the American TV series of the same name. 

Despite his past, Rodrigues was described by criminologist Ilana Casoy as a charismatic man who was “joyful, casual, and intelligent.”

Casoy noted that Rodrigues’s popularity may have been due to the fact that in Brazil, only 10% of homicides are solved, leading to a lack of trust in the justice system.

The circumstances surrounding Rodrigues’s death remain unclear, with the suspects fleeing the scene of the crime. 

The news of his death has sparked controversy in Brazil, with some praising Rodrigues’s actions as a vigilante while others condemn his acts of violence.

Despite his violent past, Rodrigues’s popularity as a social media influencer suggests that his story resonated with many in Brazil, highlighting the ongoing issue of crime and justice in the country.