Sailson Jose das Graças

Case overview

Sailson Jose das Graças was a 26-year-old Brazilian man in prison awaiting trial. He was accused of stabbing a woman to death in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro.

Timeline

• 2005 — Das Gracas claimed that he first killed a victim at the age of 17.
• At age 15 — Das Gracas claimed he began stealing handbags.
• Nine-year killing spree — Das Gracas claimed he murdered 37 women, three men and a two-year-old child across a nine-year period.
• Wednesday — Das Gracas was arrested shortly after his alleged slaying of 26-year-old Fatima Miranda, who was found dead in her home.
• After arrest — During a videotaped interrogation, Das Gracas confessed to killing another 37 women, three men and a 2-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro over the past nine years, as police said. Police said they had already matched four crimes in the past 48 hours.

The offence

Das Gracas confessed to having murdered 41 people, almost all of them women, “for the fun of it”, police said. He also said he had murdered 37 women, three men and a two-year-old child. He claimed he killed the child because he feared it would cry and attract neighbours’ attention.

Police said he alleged prefer to kill white women by strangulation. Das Gracas said he would go out “hunting”—stalking victims to learn their movements—and then killed them for the adrenaline rush.

Das Gracas told police he was hired to murder his three alleged male victims. He also described enjoying seeing female victims die, including “pleasure from them fighting, screaming and scratching me.”

Investigation

Authorities were in the process of verifying Das Gracas’ claims, and police said they believed his account. Police said they had matched four crimes.

A police spokesman said:

“We are now trying to trying to determine if he is the serial killer he says his, or if he is making it all up.”

Arrest

Das Gracas was arrested on Wednesday shortly after the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Fatima Miranda, who was found dead in her home. He was paraded in handcuffs in front of Brazilian media at a police station where journalists were allowed to question him. He gave an interview with reporters at the police station in Nova Iguacu.

Confession and statements

During his videotaped interrogation, Das Gracas confessed to killing 37 women, three men and a 2-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro over the past nine years, police said.

He said:

“I observed them, I studied them. I waited for a month, sometimes a week, depending on the place. I tried to ascertain where they lived, what their families were like. I kept watch on their houses and then after a while went there at dawn, waited for my chance and entered”

He said:

“I got pleasure from them fighting, screaming and scratching me. I thought that I was crazy, sometimes normal,”

Rio police chief Marcelo Machado said Das Gracas also masturbated after the victims were dead.

Das Gracas said:

“I don't feel remorse -- if I go to jail for 10, 15, 20 years, then as soon as I get out I'll do the same thing all over again,”

In a quoted explanation of his killing of the first woman at 17, Das Gracas said:

“At 17 I killed the first woman and that gave me a buzz. I kept on doing it and I enjoyed it. When I wasn't killing someone I got uptight. I would pace up and down at home. Killing calmed me down.
I'd kill someone and then would think about the victim for two or three months. After that, I'd go off hunting.
I don't feel remorse. If I go to jail for 10, 15, 20 years, then as soon as I get out I'll do the same thing all over again. I got pleasure from them fighting, screaming and scratching me. I thought that I was crazy, sometimes normal. I'm addicted.”

Das Gracas said:

“I started to steal small things, do small robberies. And as I grew up I started having other thoughts. My thinking started to change, understand? From robbing, I started to think about killing,”

He also stated about his “hunting” and stalking victims:

Sentencing exposure

A police statement said the maximum prison term under Brazilian law that Das Gracas could face was 30 years. Authorities said they were investigating the veracity of his claims.

Other details

Das Gracas was described as black. Police reported that he said he preferred to kill white women. One report said he said he enjoyed the publicity that followed his confession, and experts suggested he was a psychopath who was enjoying the publicity that followed his confession, and that his claims should be treated with caution.

Das Gracas claimed his wife was aware of the murders. A police spokesman said four crimes had so far been linked to him.

The reports also mentioned that Brazilian police arrested Tiago Rocha in Goiania two months earlier and that Rocha confessed to killing at least 39 victims, including homeless people, over the last two years.