Known as the “roundabout serial killer”, Renan Barros da Silva, 26, has been on the run since Friday, after escaping from a high security prison in Tocantins. Sentenced to 72 years in prison, he escaped on Thursday evening (25) from the Cariri penal treatment unit, in the south of the state, together with another inmate, Gildásio Silva Assunção, aged 47. Both are identified by the authorities as members of the First Capital Command (PCC) and considered very dangerous.
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According to the Tocantins Public Security Secretariat (SSP-TO), the two inmates sawed off the cell bars then climbed the prison fence using a “teresa”, an improvised rope made from sheets. The absence of the detainees was confirmed Friday morning, triggering a mission involving civil and military police in the southern region of the state.
Renan Barros da Silva is described by the civil police as a criminal of extreme coldness and great planning. His trajectory of violent crimes began, according to investigations, in November 2020, when he allegedly committed two homicides in Araguaína, north of Tocantins. A few months later, in May 2021, he returned to action in the same city, executing three men on a roundabout near a college, an episode which earned him the nickname by which he became known.
On this occasion, the victims were surprised by gunshots to the head while they were riding a motorcycle. After the murders, the bodies were hidden in a bush and the motorcycles were thrown into a bank. A fourth person was attacked, but managed to escape. In June 2021, the wave of violence continued outside the state: Renan was accused of the murder of another person in the municipality of Estreito, Maranhão.
The investigation indicates that the criminal always used a .380 caliber pistol and did not give the victims the opportunity to defend themselves, shooting them in the head. In addition to homicides, he is also under investigation for property crimes, such as store break-ins and safe thefts, which could fetch up to R$100,000 per share. The activity was considered itinerant, traveling between Tocantins, Maranhão and Pará.
In 2023, Renan was convicted of three double homicides and concealment of a corpse, in addition to being charged with other crimes. In a complaint filed by the Tocantins public prosecutor’s office, he was described as a “sadistic” person, with a “disgusting pleasure in killing.” He has since served a prison sentence. The defense, handled by the Public Defender’s Office, made no comment on the escape.
The escape partner, Gildásio Silva Assunção, also has a long criminal record. He has four convictions, including for murder, and sentences totaling approximately 46 years in prison.
The SSP-TO remains on alert for the capture of the two fugitives and advises the population not to attempt any approach. Information that may lead to the location of Renan Barros da Silva and Gildásio Silva Assunção can be provided anonymously by calling 190, 197 or the Gurupi Crime Center number: (63) 3312-4110. Confidentiality is guaranteed.
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