Paulo Sérgio Guimarães da Silva

Paulo Sérgio Guimarães da Silva (born 1971), known as The Cassino Maniac, is a Brazilian serial killer who murdered seven people at Praia do Cassino between 1998 and 1999. Due to the severity of his crimes, he was sentenced to 180 years imprisonment, and is one of the prisoners with the highest sentences in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Biography Paulo Sérgio, a fisherman, was initially imprisoned on an attempted murder charge. In late November 1998, after spending nine years in prison, he was released from the Rio Grande State Penitentiary.

Crimes Although Guimarães already had a criminal record, it was the murders between December 1998 and March 1999 that led him to infamy. During the summer season, he attacked couples who were making out in their cars on the edge of Praia do Cassino.

That same month, he attacked Petrick de Almeida, 18, and Brenda Graebin, 14, at Praia do Cassino. Petrick died on the spot, while Brenda, who would become the sole survivor of his killing spree, was crippled. A few days later, in the early hours of March 26, Paulo Sérgio killed Silvio Ibias, 36, and Adriana Simões, 28.

After committing the murders, Guimarães reported to the police and local residents who were arriving at the scene, waiting to hear what they would say.

Arrest and conviction During the course of the investigations, thirteen people were arrested.

In February 2002, Guimarães was sentenced to 171 years, 4 months and 20 days imprisonment for the commission of 14 crimes (7 homicides, one attempted murder, 3 robberies, 2 attempted robberies and one rape). The trial lasted two days and the jurors were unanimous in convicting him.

In 2007, Paulo requested that he be transferred from the Charquedas High Security Penitentiary, where he had been imprisoned since his initial conviction, to the Rio Grande State Penitentiary. The court, however, dismissed the request, judging that the transfer to the city where the crimes had been committed could lead to "social upheaval".

According to a survey conducted by Pioneiro in 2018, Guimarães was the eighth prisoner with the largest sentence in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.