Pedro Rodrigues Filho, famously known as Pedrinho Matador or “Killer Pete,” was a notorious serial killer in his country and a source of inspiration for a complex anti-hero character on television. He claimed responsibility for over 100 deaths spanning five decades but was officially convicted of 71 murders.
After spending more than 40 years in prison, he developed a reputation resembling a modern-day “Robin Hood,” targeting individuals involved in criminal activities such as drug dealing and gang affiliation. Born on October 29, 1954, in a rural area of Brazil, his life was marred by violence from the beginning due to a traumatic incident before his birth when his father assaulted his pregnant mother.
Pedro’s exposure to violence at a young age shaped his future actions, as he himself stated. At just nine years old, he ran away from home and eventually ended up in São Paulo, where he embarked on a life of theft and vagrancy. By his early teens, he claimed to have committed his first murder, followed by a pattern of escalating violent acts.
In later years, Pedro moved to the outskirts of São Paulo, becoming involved in the local drug trade. His criminal activities intensified, leading to multiple murders and a notorious reputation among fellow criminals. Despite being sentenced to 128 years in prison, his violent streak continued within the prison walls, resulting in a significantly increased prison term.
Pedro, under the alias Pedrinho Matador, garnered attention for his brutal killings of other inmates, claiming to target only those he deemed unworthy of life. He eventually found himself released from prison in 2007 due to legal restrictions on incarceration lengths in Brazil after serving over three decades behind bars.
Despite claiming a reformed character and embracing Christianity, Pedro’s past caught up with him, and he was involved in subsequent criminal activities leading to his re-arrest in 2018. He attempted to spread a message of redemption through a YouTube channel, reflecting on his past actions and warning others about the destructive nature of crime.
On March 5, 2023, Pedro met a violent end when he was gunned down outside a relative’s home in Mogi das Cruzes, the same city where he once held sway over the criminal underworld. His life story, drawing international attention, drew comparisons to fictional characters, with his unique moral compass of selective killings serving as inspiration for works of fiction.