Key Highlights
- Pedro Rodrigues Filho, known as Pedrinho Matador, was a Brazilian serial killer who claimed over 70 murders.
- He served more than 40 years in prison and later became a YouTuber discussing crime and redemption.
- Pedrinho’s story inspired the character Dexter from the TV series.
- In his teens, he murdered his own father as revenge for his mother’s death.
The Notorious Pedrinho Matador
Born on October 29, 1954, in a rural Brazilian town, Pedro Rodrigues Filho’s early life was marked by violence. His father kicked his pregnant mother during an argument before he was born, leading to a fractured skull. By nine years old, Pedro had run away from home and began a life of crime.
By the age of 18, Pedro had already killed for the first time – pushing a cousin into a sugarcane press and later attacking him with a machete.
These early killings gave him a sense of power, targeting those he believed deserved it. In his late teens, he moved to São Paulo and became involved in the drug trade. He was eventually arrested in 1973 for killing a local drug dealer.
The Prison Legend
In prison, Pedrinho Matador earned a reputation as a “Robin Hood” who targeted criminals. He claimed to have murdered dozens of inmates – many convicted of assault or sexual violence. He tattooed the phrase “I kill for pleasure” on his arm and often referred to himself as a symbol of justice against crime.
Most infamously, in prison he bit out his own father’s heart, an act that solidified his twisted morality.
By mid-1980s, estimates placed his body count at over 40 fellow prisoners inside Brazil’s highest-security facility. Journalists described him as calm and articulate, but also strange and self-assured.
Redemption and YouTube
In the late 2000s, Pedrinho was released from prison due to Brazil’s legal limits on sentencing. He claimed a transformation through Christianity and launched a YouTube channel titled “Pedrinho, Former Killer with Jesus.” On his channel, he spoke about crime prevention and the need for repentance. His message resonated, gaining him tens of thousands of followers.
However, on March 5, 2023, Pedrinho was ambushed outside a relative’s home in Mogi das Cruzes.
Two masked men shot him multiple times before slashing his throat with a kitchen knife. He died at the age of 68. Internationally, his story inspired characters like Dexter from the popular TV series.
Legacy and Inspiration
Pedrinho Matador’s life became an inspiration for Jeff Lindsay’s novel “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” and its subsequent adaptation into television. His moral code of targeting only those he believed deserved it resonated with the fictional character, making his legacy complex yet intriguing.
