BRAZIL · CRIME
Key Facts
- The country Brazil is Latin America’s largest country, and São Paulo is its biggest city and financial capital, with about 12 million residents.
- What happened Two more bodies were found in northern São Paulo on Wednesday 21 October, taking police inquiries to 12 violent deaths since 5 September.
- The pattern Victims were stabbed, shot or dismembered, and several were found in plastic bags or wrapped in sheets across the east, north, south and west.
- Police view The homicide department says no evidence points to a serial killer and is treating each case separately.
- Arrests A court has ordered the arrest of three people linked to some cases, and none had been caught by Thursday.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- What it means for you The US State Department rates Brazil at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of violent crime.
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Police in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, are investigating 12 deaths in 47 days, Metrópoles reported. The São Paulo deaths include bodies found in plastic bags, wrapped in sheets or dismembered, and fears of a serial killer followed.
Police say they have no evidence of a single killer and are treating each case on its own. For US travellers and residents, the São Paulo deaths raise a safety question that the State Department’s travel advisory already frames.
What Happened on Wednesday 21 October
Military police on patrol near the Marginal Tietê expressway tried to stop two men in the early hours of Wednesday, CNN Brasil reported. Officers say the men opened fire, one suspect died at the scene and the other escaped.
Searching the area, officers found the head and other body parts of a woman. Metrópoles identified her as Lucimara de Freitas, 35, from Camanducaia in Minas Gerais state.
In the afternoon, a second body was found in a wooded area on Avenida Coronel Sezefredo Fagundes in Tremembé, in the north of the city. Metrópoles identified the man as Milber Conceição Paiva, 43, found wrapped in plastic bags with multiple head injuries.
Reports say occupants of a dark car forced Paiva into the vehicle on Friday 16 October. His family reported him missing on Monday 19 October.
The Pattern Behind the São Paulo Deaths
Metrópoles counts 12 people found dead with signs of violence in the city between 5 September and 21 October, a span of 47 days. The first was José Zito da Conceição, 55, found tied inside a plastic bag in the Jabaquara district on 5 September.
Victims were stabbed, shot, dismembered or a combination of these, and several were wrapped in blankets or sheets or left in plastic bags. The bodies turned up in the east, north, south and west of the city.
In one case a head was found on a road in the Jardim São Luís district on 27 September. The rest of the body was found 21 kilometres (about 13 miles) away in Itapecerica da Serra, according to Metrópoles.
Why Police Rule Out a Serial Killer
Ivalda Aleixo, who heads the city’s homicide department, said on 7 October that no evidence points to a serial killer, Diário do Grande ABC reported. She said bags and sheets are common ways to carry and hide bodies and do not by themselves link cases.
She confirmed that a court has ordered the arrest of three people linked to some of the cases. Reports on Thursday said none had been captured.
Investigators say some of the São Paulo deaths point to the informal tribunals of organised crime, in which criminal factions judge and punish people. Police say all 12 dead had criminal records, mostly for drug trafficking, Diário do Estado de São Paulo reported.
Police say each case has its own team, and the investigations into the São Paulo deaths are secret. The public can pass tips to the Disque Denúncia line at 181.
What It Means for US Readers
São Paulo is Brazil’s financial capital and a regular stop for US business travellers, and many Americans live there. The US State Department rates Brazil at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of crime and kidnapping.
The advisory, dated 29 May 2025, warns that violent crime including murder and armed robbery can occur in urban areas day and night. Travellers can read the full text on the State Department website before booking.
The Rio Times reported earlier this month that São Paulo police fired 45 shots at a man holding a phone. The Wednesday shootout is now the subject of a military police inquiry, and officers’ body cameras were switched on, police said.
What Is Not Known
Police have not said whether the two bodies found on Wednesday are linked to each other or to the earlier cases. The second man in the shootout has not been found.
Authorities have not said who the three people sought in the arrest warrants are or which killings they relate to. Counts also differ by outlet, with Metrópoles listing 12 cases and a separate tally reaching 13.
Police have not given a motive for the two latest killings, and no charges have been announced. CNN Brasil’s blog described the Tremembé body as unidentified and in an advanced state of decomposition on Wednesday evening, before Metrópoles named him.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many São Paulo deaths are police investigating?
Police are investigating 12 São Paulo deaths of people found dead with signs of violence between 5 September and 21 October, according to Metrópoles. Another outlet counts 13 cases.
Is there a serial killer in São Paulo?
The director of the city’s homicide department says no evidence ties the São Paulo deaths to a serial killer. Police are treating each case separately.
Have there been any arrests?
A court has ordered the arrest of three people linked to some cases, and none had been caught by Thursday. One suspect died in a shootout with military police on 21 October.
Is São Paulo safe for US visitors?
The State Department rates Brazil at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing violent crime. Police say all 12 dead had criminal records, mostly for drug trafficking.
How can people help the investigation?
Anyone with information can call the Disque Denúncia line at 181. Police also advise families to file a missing-person report immediately.
Sources: Metrópoles, 22 October 2026; Diário do Estado de São Paulo, 22 October 2026; CNN Brasil, 21 October 2026; Diário do Grande ABC, 8 October 2026; US State Department, Brazil travel advisory, 29 May 2025.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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