There’s A 'Real Life Dexter’ Serial Killer Who Killed Up To 100 People

The much-loved TV series follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers.

But while this may seem like a rather implausible premise, it actually bears similarities to the story of Pedro Rodrigues Filho; he's not a forensic technician, but he has killed a lot of criminals.

The Brazilian serial killer, also known as Pedrinho Matador or Killer Petey, butchered a confirmed 71 people, while he claims his victim list is nearer the 100-mark.

The 66-year-old was born with an injured skull because his dad savagely beat his mum while he was still in the womb.

He nearly killed his cousin when he was just 13 when he first felt the urge to murder. It wasn't until a year later that he fully acted on his impulses.

Pedro murdered the vice-Mayor of Alfenas because he fired his dad on unsubstantiated claims he was stealing food from the school kitchen.

He then went on to kill the person who he thought was actually taking food supplies. This was when he was only 14-years-old.

He moved towns, murdered a drug dealer and fell in love with a woman named Maria Aparecida Olympia. It was here, in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, where he racked up a huge body count in the name of revenge.

When Olympia was killed by gang members, Killer Petey went on a rampage, torturing and killing people to find out who specifically killed his lover.

But his most savage murder arguably happened when he came face to face with his dad. He reportedly executed his dad in a prison as he was serving time for killing his mum with a machete. Filho cut out his dad's heart, ate a piece of it and then threw it away.

After his massive killing spree, he was eventually arrested in 1973 and sent to prison - but the killings kept happening. Pedrinho Matador butchered four people while he was locked up, meaning his sentence was eventually extended.

He was sentenced to 126 years in prison, however Brazilian law prevents any criminal from serving more than 30 years. Regardless, he has spent most of his adult life behind bars, but was released from prison in 2018.