Man Tells Rio de Janeiro Police to Have Murdered 43 People for Hire or "Pleasure"

12/12/2014 - 07h54

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Rio after confessing in a statement to police to have killed 43 people in the past nine years.

For now, he will be indicted on suspicion of committing at least four of the murders. Police say they have strong evidence he perpetrated other three.

Sailson José das Graças, 26, said he used to kill for hire and for pleasure. When he did it for personal satisfaction, his victims were preferably white women.

All crimes would have happened at Baixada Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro.

"I killed for the pleasure. I used to kill them and leave. I would kill, stay there for a while and then I would leave", he said.

Despite not having identified all the victims, the police believe his confession is feasible due to the wealth of details.

However, chief officer Marcelo Machado says they must be cautious about the total number of murders confessed.

"That is what he says. Suddenly he's talking about 100, 200. We must be cautious, and check one by one."

Last Tuesday (9), Sailson was arrested red-handed, charged with the murder of Fatima Miranda.

At the police station, he confessed to have murdered her and three others. His testimony matched the occurrences and he will be indicted on those cases.

According to his statement, he carried out these murders at the behest of Cleusa Balbina and José Marquez, a couple who provided him shelter.

"I used to tell her [Cleusa]: today is my hunt day and I left. Today I'm going to work. She already knew what it was."

Sailson said he used to kill for hire in exchange for food, a place to live and anything else he would need.

He said he had a relationship with Cleusa and lived with her and ex-husband, José, in Nova Iguaçu, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro.

Both have also been arrested under the allegation of ordering the murders. According to chief officer Pedro Medina, they deny involvement in the deaths.

The three victims already identified are Paulo Vasconcelos, 52, Raimundo Basílio da Silva, 60, and Francisco Carlos Chagas, 49.

Vasconcelos supposedly owed Cleusa and Chagas US$ 15 and had stolen her mobile phone.

The motivation for Silva's murder is not yet known. Fatima's murder is likely to have been motivated by a disagreement with Cleusa.

All the victims were killed with a knife.

According to police, apart from these crimes, Sailson willingly confessed other 39 murders; 38 women and a two-year old baby. All for pleasure, he said.

"When I didn't kill, I felt nervous; I kept walking around the house. However, when I did it, I felt calmer", he said at the police station. I enjoyed it when the victim screamed, struggled, scratched me."

According to chief officer Pedro Medina, Sailson strangled his victims. His testimony indicates he was responsible for three murders.

Sailson had nine criminal records and nine convictions until this week's confession.

He was previously charged with shoplifting, robbery and for illegally carrying a firearm.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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	Divulgação/Polícia Civil/AFP
	Brazilian Sailson Jose das Gracas, 26 years old, confessed he had murdered 42 people during the last 9 years