At the age of 15/16 he started by stealing, robbing purses and stealing everything he could lay his hands on just for fun. At 17, he killed the first person. According to his confession, he always felt the adrenaline towards committing murder. He would walk up to someone and kill the person without any form of provocation. Within the 9 years rampage, before the police could stop him, 42 people had already been downed.

Brazilian police say Sailson Jose das Gracas, 26 has confessed to killing 42 people, making him one of the country’s most prolific serial killers.

He was caught stabbing a woman to dead —  he confessed to have murdered 37 women, 2 men, and 1 (two year old) child.

‘I would watch the victim, study her. I would wait a month, sometimes a week, depending on the place. I would get to know where she lived, how her family were, if she passed by on the street, I would watch, have a look at her house, studying her.

‘In the early hours of the morning, I’d get through a gap in her house, really easily, and take advantage.’ He told the police.

During an interview at the police station in Nova Iguacu, firmed by TV cameras, Garcas said he found pleasure in seeing the life drain out of the women he murdered.

“When I didn’t do it I would get nervous, then I would go hunting” for other victims, he added. Police made Das Graças available for reporters to question in a give-and-take session that’s not uncommon in Brazil.

Das Graças said he would often remove the nails of his victims to avoid marks or scratches from a scuffle. He said his wife was aware of the murders.

Experts said Das Graças was likely a psychopath who enjoyed the media spotlight and warned that what he said should be carefully checked.

But police said they were convinced by his account and were cross referencing his confessions with past crime reports. Four crimes had already successfully been matched, they said.