Brazilian police arrest suspected serial killer disguised as a woman

Brazilian police arrested suspected serial killer Jorlan Lopes da Silva, 33, following a 30-hour manhunt in a forested region of Mulungu, Paraíba. He attempted to evade law enforcement by disguising himself as a woman—wearing a striped dress, long black wig, sunglasses, sandals, and painted nails—and carrying an unrelated toddler.

Following a two-day search in northeastern Brazil, a joint security force tracked Silva down. Police have officially tied Silva to 16 homicides committed since May 2026, 11 of which he admitted to during questioning. During interrogation, Silva claimed to have killed as many as 80 people over his lifetime, asserting that he committed his first murder at age 13.

Authorities suspect Silva is affiliated with an ultra-violent local criminal group, though Silva claimed during interrogation that he acted alone. He claimed his victims were all "linked to the criminal world" and that he was retaliating against threats made to his family.