A man who could be one of Brazil's most prolific
serial killers has confessed to murdering
42 people over the past decade.
Sailson Jose das Gracas aged 26, who was arrested
on Wednesday, told reporters at a police station
in Rio that he killed for pleasure and the
adrenalin rush.
I kill just for the pleasure of it. I'd kill
and then leave. I'd kill, stay there for a
bit and then leave.
I started robbing purses and things like that,
little things, I did petty theft and as I
got older I started having different thoughts.
My thoughts started changing. From stealing
I started thinking about killing. At 15 I
robbed purses, or 16, and then by the time
I was 17, I killed the first person.
I felt that adrenalin. The first woman.
His preferred victims were white females who
he said he strangled. Among the 42 victims,
39 are thought to be women.
Police made das Gracas available for reporters
to question in a Q&A session that's not uncommon
in Brazil.
He said his wife was aware of the murders.
