A Brazilian TV crime drama gave him the nickname "Pedrinho Matador" — Little Pedro the Killer. American audiences would later come to know a fictional version of him by another name entirely: Dexter Morgan.
Pedro Rodrigues Filho was convicted of killing 71 people across roughly two decades, most of whom he claimed were criminals he'd targeted deliberately — rapists, drug traffickers, and people he blamed for wronging his family. He would go on to inspire one of American television's most famous fictional serial killers, before being assassinated himself in 2023.
A Violent Start
Filho was born October 29, 1954, on a farm in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Brazil, into a violently abusive household. At 14, he shot and killed the deputy mayor of his hometown, whom he blamed for having his father, a school security guard, fired over accusations of theft. He then killed a second man he believed was actually responsible for the theft.
A Vigilante in São Paulo
Filho fled to the São Paulo area, where he became involved in robbing drug dens and killing traffickers, earning street notoriety as "Pedrinho Matador." He began a relationship with a woman, Maria Aparecida Olímpia, known as Botinha, who was later murdered by a rival gang while pregnant. In response, Filho hunted down and killed members of that gang, including ambushing several of them at a wedding where he knew his targets would be present.
Arrest and Prison Killings
Filho was first arrested in 1973, at age 18. His killing didn't stop behind bars — he continued targeting other inmates he considered deserving of punishment, particularly those convicted of crimes against children or considered informants. In one of the case's most widely reported and disturbing episodes, Filho was placed in the same cell as his own father, who was serving time for killing Filho's mother. Filho killed him as well, an act he described publicly as an act of revenge for his mother's death.
Sentencing, and an Early Release
Filho was ultimately convicted in connection with dozens of killings and received a sentence exceeding 400 years. Brazilian law at the time capped actual time served at 30 years regardless of sentence length (later revised to 40 years), and Filho was released in 2007. He was imprisoned again in 2011 over further violence committed inside prison, then released a second time in 2018.
Life After Prison
Following his 2018 release, Filho publicly declared himself reformed, became a born-again Christian, and started a YouTube channel, "Pedrinho EX Matador," where he discussed crime and spoke out against gang violence, framing his own past as something not to be admired. He gained a following of tens of thousands and became a recognizable public figure in Brazil.
A Divisive Legacy
Brazilian criminologist Ilana Casoy, who studied Filho's case closely, has said he wasn't truly a vigilante acting on behalf of others, but someone driven by personal vengeance against people he judged to be the worst in society. Opinion in Brazil remained sharply split — some viewed him as a folk-hero figure delivering justice a broken system couldn't, while others rejected that framing entirely, noting he killed based on his own judgment, without trial or proof, and that among his victims were people never proven guilty of anything.
The Dexter Connection
Author Jeff Lindsay has said Filho's story directly inspired his novel series about a fictional serial killer who targets other criminals — the character became Dexter Morgan, later portrayed by Michael C. Hall in the Showtime series "Dexter" and its 2021 revival. The parallel earned Filho international nicknames including "the Brazilian Dexter."
His Death
On March 5, 2023, Filho was killed in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, in what appeared to be a targeted attack. Witnesses said unidentified men in a car shot him multiple times before one attacker got out and cut his throat. He was 68. No suspects have been publicly confirmed as arrested in connection with his death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pedro Rodrigues Filho still alive?
No. He was killed in an apparent targeted attack in March 2023.
Did he really inspire the character Dexter?
Yes. Author Jeff Lindsay has confirmed Filho's story was a direct inspiration for the Dexter Morgan character in his novels and the Showtime television series.
Was he ever executed or given the death penalty?
No. Brazil does not have capital punishment, so he served prison time under Brazil's maximum sentence-serving cap instead.
Did all of his victims have criminal backgrounds?
Not confirmed in every case. While Filho and many accounts describe most of his victims as criminals he targeted deliberately, this was based on his own judgment rather than any legal proceeding, and it's a significant point of criticism of how his story is sometimes romanticized.