Brazil's infamous serial killer shot dead in Sao Paulo

A serial killer in Brazil convicted of 71 homicides and freed since 2017 after spending 42 years in jail, was shot dead, according to reports.

Pedro Rodrigues Filho, known as "Pedrinho Matador" in Portuguese or "Little Pedro the Killer" was shot dead on Sunday in the Mogi das Cruzes municipality of Sao Paulo.

The 68-year-old man, believed to be one of the most notorious serial killers in Brazil, died after being shot by two men, daily Metropoles reported, saying he was shot several times at his home in Mogi das Cruzes.

Pedrinho was in the front of his house when he was approached and shot by several hooded attackers who exited a car to kill him.

Metropoles reported his body was found in the street with several "perforations".

During his life Pedrinho claims to have killed over 100 people, including his own father, while Globo newspaper reported he had gained prominence in recent years on social media and had even released an autobiography entitled "I'm not a monster."

According to Power360, he was arrested for the first time in 1973 then released from jail in 2007 and later returned to prison four years later to serve two more jail terms.

Authorities suspect that Pedrinho's murder could have been a revenge killing as they continue to investigate.