Pedrinho Matador: The Killer Who Claimed Vigilante Justice

For decades, Pedro Rodrigues Filho, known as Pedrinho Matador, told the world a story that was easy to believe—and dangerous to accept.

He said he only killed criminals.

That his victims were rapists, murderers, and abusers.

That he wasn’t a serial killer, but a vigilante doing what the justice system wouldn’t.

But court records, witness testimony, and timelines tell a far more complicated story.

In this episode of Three Voices One Crime, we trace Pedro Rodrigues Filho’s life from a violent childhood in rural Brazil to a body count that may exceed seventy victims. We examine how his crimes unfolded, how authorities responded, and how media coverage helped transform a convicted killer into a folk figure for “street justice.”

This is not a story about heroism.

It’s a story about how violence gets justified, how myths are built around brutality, and what happens when someone appoints themselves judge, jury, and executioner.

Because when someone claims to kill for justice, the most important question isn’t why—

it’s who gets to decide.

Sources & References

• BBC News — Coverage of Pedro Rodrigues Filho’s crimes, prison sentences, and public notoriety

• The Guardian — Reporting on his vigilante claims, media myth-making, and later life

• Reuters — Death report and historical overview of crimes and convictions

• Associated Press — Court history, sentencing limits in Brazil, and public reaction

• Folha de S.Paulo — Contemporary Brazilian reporting on arrests, prison years, and interviews

• O Globo — Coverage of his murders, incarceration, and later media presence

• Brazilian Criminal Court Records — Sentencing documentation and incarceration history

• Academic commentary on vigilantism and moral disengagement — Context for public support narratives surrounding violent offenders