Suspected serial killer arrested trying to flee dressed as a woman before confessing to 80 murders

A suspected serial killer who reportedly confessed to 80 murders was arrested in Brazil while trying to evade justice by dressing as a woman.

Wild video shows cops arresting Jorlan Alves da Silva, 33, in a striped dress and loosely fitting long black wig during the dramatic raid in Paraiba state, northeastern Brazil, Record R7 reported.

Cops pulled off the wig, revealing the smiling suspected serial killer’s short hair.

Silva, 33, was also wearing women’s sandals, dark glasses and painted nails — and carrying a 2-year-old child, O Globo reported — with cops still trying to work out how he was with the youngster.

Security forces earlier spotted and stopped a vehicle used by Jorlan and other alleged accomplices, arresting one person inside it while Jorlan somehow managed to escape, the reports said.

Jorlan is suspected of being a serial killer who carried out at least 15 murders for organized crime gangs in the past three months alone, according to police.

During questioning, Jorlan reportedly confessed to killing around 80 people during his life.

He allegedly confessed to committing his first murder at 13, and spending five to six years in prison for various other offenses during his life, before his release in late May this year, according to Detective Douglas Garcia of the Civil Police.

It doesn’t look as if this guy fits the insanity defense as defined in Brazil.

Does Brazil Have the Insanity Defense?
Yes — Brazil has a statutory insanity defense, codified in Article 26 of its 1941 Criminal Code, which allows exemption from punishment or a reduction in sentence if a defendant was mentally incapable of understanding the unlawfulness of their act or controlling their conduct at the time.

How It Works in Brazilian Law
Under Article 26 of the Brazilian Criminal Code:

Absolute incapacity: If, at the time of the act, the person was completely unable to understand the unlawful nature of the conduct or to act according to that understanding due to a mental illness or developmental disorder, they are exempt from punishment (no criminal sanction, though the act is still considered a crime)

Partial incapacity: If the person was not entirely capable of understanding or controlling their actions due to mental disturbance or developmental issues, the penalty may be reduced by one-third to two-thirds

This is similar in concept to the “mental disorder defense” recognized in many common law jurisdictions, though Brazil’s formulation is codified and does not require a jury verdict of “not guilty by reason of insanity” in the U.S. sense.

Key Points
Crime still occurs: The act is legally defined as a crime, but the defendant is not punished if the mental incapacity criteria are met

Recidivism risk: If the person commits another crime within five years, they may be treated as a recidivist

Scope: The law covers both mental illness and certain developmental disorders, and applies to adults and minors where relevant

Comparison to Other Systems
While the insanity defense exists in many countries, Brazil’s version is statutory (written in the Criminal Code) and codified rather than purely case law–based, and it focuses on capacity to understand and control rather than broader definitions like the M’Naghten or Model Penal Code tests

In short: Brazil does have an insanity defense, and it is explicitly provided for in its Criminal Code, granting either exemption from punishment or a significant sentence reduction when mental incapacity is proven

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