The mysterious fate of a serial killer who spent decades hunting down criminals before becoming a YouTube star

Pedro Rodrigues Filho, known as Pedrinho Matador or Killer Petey, had one of the strangest criminal stories in modern history. Born on October 29, 1954, in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Brazil, his life was violent from the start. His skull was damaged before birth when his father kicked his pregnant mother during a fight. This early trauma set the stage for a life filled with violence and revenge.

At just 14 years old, Rodrigues committed his first murders. He shot the deputy mayor of his hometown after the official fired his father from a school security job over accusations of stealing food. He also killed the security guard he suspected of being the real thief. On the run, Rodrigues moved to Mogi das Cruzes near São Paulo, where he began targeting drug dealers and traffickers. His girlfriend, Maria Aparecida Olympia, who was pregnant with his child, was murdered by a rival gang leader. This started a revenge spree where Rodrigues tracked down and killed every member of the gang.

As per Wikipedia, officially sentenced for 71 murders but claiming to have killed over 100 drug dealers, rapists, and murderers, Rodrigues spent 34 years in prison before getting out in 2007. Even behind bars, his violence went on. He killed at least 47 inmates, including his own father who had murdered his mother. In one shocking incident, he stabbed his father 22 times and reportedly cut out a piece of his heart and chewed it. Despite being sentenced to 126 years, Brazilian law at the time did not allow anyone to stay in prison for more than 30 years.

A surprising change after prison

After his second release in 2018, following another sentence for crimes he committed in prison, Rodrigues made an unexpected turn. He became a YouTuber with a channel called Pedrinho EX Matador. On this channel, he talked about modern crimes and spoke out against gang violence. He publicly said he was reformed and promised to commit no more crimes. He tried to teach viewers that criminal acts were nothing to be proud of.

His story got worldwide attention as the inspiration for the character Dexter Morgan in Jeff Lindsay’s book series and the popular television show Dexter. This connection gave him nicknames like the Brazilian Dexter and the South American Punisher. The character of Dexter Morgan became hugely popular, with Michael C. Hall winning a Golden Globe for playing the fictional serial killer who hunted other killers.

Rodrigues became something of a Brazilian celebrity after getting out of prison. He kept up his YouTube presence where he talked about criminal cases and warned young people against following his path. His channel got a large following as viewers were interested in his change from violent criminal to anti-crime speaker. He even released an autobiography titled “I’m not a monster” in which he looked back on his violent past.

However, his reformed life ended violently on March 5, 2023, when three men shot him outside a family member’s home in Mogi das Cruzes. One attacker finished him with a knife to the throat in what was described as a near decapitation. The car used in the attack was found, but no suspects have been arrested. Police suspect the murder may have been a revenge killing, bringing the life of one of Brazil’s most notorious serial killers to a violent end.