In recent weeks, bodies found in plastic bags, blankets and sheets in different parts of Sao Paulo city have fueled rumors on social media that a serial killer is at work in the city. Sao Paulo’s Civil Police and the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP) say there is no evidence of that and that each case is being investigated separately.
What is known so far
Since September 5, several bodies have been found in neighborhoods in the east, south, north and west zones of the city. Some victims were tied up or wrapped in plastic bags and fabric; in one case, the head was found about 21 km (13 miles) from the rest of the body, in Itapecerica da Serra. According to SBT News, there were also cases in Sao Bernardo do Campo.
The exact number varies depending on each tally’s criteria: on October 7, the homicide unit (DHPP) spoke of at least eight deaths; a Diario ESP report, based on Civil Police information, counts 12 violent deaths in 47 days; Jovem Pan reports 14 bodies in 48 days. Not all cases have been confirmed as related to one another.
Why police rule out a serial killer
On October 7, Delegate Ivalda Aleixo, director of the Department of Homicide and Personal Protection (DHPP), said the deaths share similar features but that this is not enough to conclude they were committed by the same person. She explained that wrapping bodies in bags or fabric is a known practice in the criminal world for transporting and hiding corpses, and asked the public not to spread the rumor, since fear can harm families still waiting for news of missing relatives.
The DHPP’s Criminal Profiling Unit is comparing the cases and checking possible geographic links, but so far has found no proof of a single perpetrator. The SSP stresses that the cases have different dynamics, locations and methods.
Lines of investigation
The main hypothesis is executions linked to organized crime. The delegate cited a family’s account that a relative was “snatched” and put into a car, which she considers characteristic of the so-called “crime tribunal” (clandestine trials and punishments run by criminal groups). The SSP is also investigating revenge and vigilante-style punishment, but does not confirm any link to a criminal faction. According to Diario ESP, a court ordered the arrest of three people linked to some of the cases, and the investigation is under seal.
The most recent cases
- Oct. 21, Tremembe (north zone): a 43-year-old man was found dead in a wooded area, in an advanced state of decomposition. He had been missing since Oct. 16. The case was registered as a homicide.
- Oct. 21, Marginal Tiete (north zone): military police officers on patrol were fired upon by two men; one suspect died and the other fled. Nearby, the remains of a woman were found. According to CNN Brasil, there is no confirmed information linking the cases. The case is with the DHPP and the military police will open an inquiry into the operation.
- Oct. 22, banks of the Tiete River (west zone): an unidentified body was found with no signs of violence and registered as a suspicious death. Forensic exams were requested.
What is still unknown
Some victims are still unidentified, the cause of several deaths is unclear, and it has not been confirmed which cases, if any, are connected. Police advise relatives of missing people to file a police report immediately at the nearest station, and tips can be sent anonymously to Disque Denuncia (181).
OnTheNet is following the case and will update this article as new information is officially confirmed. Information as of October 22, 2026.
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