Brazilian murder suspect evaded police for years by hiding in forest camps

A Brazilian man accused of 16 murders evaded capture for years by living in makeshift camps deep in the woods, the police investigator who arrested him has disclosed.

Douglas Garcia, who led the two-day pursuit of 33-year-old Jorlan Lopes da Silva, revealed that the suspect survived in thick bush using temporary shelters he built himself. The manhunt concluded on September 13.

Hidden in plain sight

"Jorlan lived mostly in the woods, that's why it was so hard to find him and link him to crimes that didn't seem to be connected at first," Garcia told Associated Press.

The suspect's frail build earned him the nickname "Mosquito" from locals in the region. "That allowed him to evade capture for years," Garcia said.

All 16 killings linked to da Silva took place within the last three months in Mulungu, an isolated area in the northeastern state of Paraiba. The investigator explained that da Silva's forest lifestyle made it difficult for authorities to connect the separate incidents to a single perpetrator.

Garcia, who was responsible for da Silva's eventual arrest, described how the suspect's knowledge of the remote bush terrain helped him stay ahead of police for an extended period.

Source: South China Morning Post