The Killings and Motive

Marcelo Costa de Andrade, a Brazilian serial killer nicknamed 'the Vampire of Niteroi,' murdered 14 boys and drank their blood, believing it would make him "as beautiful" as his victims. His eight-month crime spree occurred near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April to December 1991.

According to reports, de Andrade did not claim vampire aspirations. Instead, he admitted he drank the blood to "become as beautiful as them."

His motive for targeting children was particularly disturbing. De Andrade attended services at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in his homeland and also watched celebrations on television. There, he reportedly heard the belief that all children automatically go to heaven when they die. He therefore chose only to kill children, fearing he would be sending adults to hell if he took their lives.

The Attacks and Victims

After sexually abusing his victims, de Andrade would crack their heads open and collect the blood in a bowl to drink, which he carried with him everywhere. The spree was relatively short, lasting only eight months.

He was caught after his final murder, shortly before Christmas in 1991. He approached Altair Medeiros de Abreu, 10, and his younger brother Ivan, offering them money to help with a Catholic religious ritual. He lured them to a deserted beach, where he murdered the younger boy. While Altair feared the same fate, de Andrade actually said he wanted to live with Altair.

The schoolboy immediately agreed and managed to flee when de Andrade was distracted. Altair then led police to the killer, who immediately confessed and appeared unsurprised. He shockingly confessed to killing 13 other boys.

Aftermath and Expert Insights

Dr. Helen Morrison, a forensic psychiatrist and serial-killer profiler, interviewed de Andrade in November 2001. In her book, she recounted his words: "The children have bad lives here. If they are children when they die they go to heaven. A better place."

Ilana Casoy, an expert on Brazilian serial killers, also met de Andrade and is quoted on his insanity and lack of remorse.

De Andrade was charged and declared insane. He was sent to Henrique Roxo Psychiatric Hospital, where he remains in a secure facility.