
Horror films have the ability to leave us with ‘chicken skin’ due to the frightening stories and scenarios. In the same vein, serial killer stories are also capable of giving us chills. Even more so when they are true. For example, have you ever heard of Diogo Alves?
At first glance, his name might not mean anything to you. But what if we told you that he was the first serial killer Portugal ever knew? In the 19th century, he terrorized the city of Lisbon and is suspected of having murdered dozens of people.
However, his figure (and myth) survived the passage of time, becoming synonymous with pure terror. But the most curious thing is that so has his head.It still haunts the building of the Faculty of Medicine in Lisbon, where it is perfectly preserved in formaldehyde.
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Who was Diogo Alves?
Introductions aside, now is the time to get to know this frightening figure a little better. It’s also worth pointing out that Diogo Alves went down in history not only as one of the first serial killers in Portugal, but also for being one of the last people sentenced to death.
According to some sources, he was born in Galicia in 1810. Later, at a very young age, he immigrated to the Portuguese capital. Here, he began serving in wealthy households to earn a living. But it seems that this work wasn’t enough, so he turned to the world of crime.

What crimes were committed?
Diogo Alves, or “O Pancada ” – the nickname by which he became known – is said to have murdered at least a hundred people ‘alone’ at the Águas Livres Aqueduct in Lisbon. However, it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact number, not least because these crimes aren’t even included in the court case of his hanging, but we’ll get to that.
According to some theories, the murders in the historic Lisbon building took place between 1836 and 1839. But who were the victims? And what was their modus operandi? As a rule, Diogo Alves approached the unfortunate at nightfall, when they were returning home after a day’s work.
In this context, washerwomen and farmers were some of those who suffered the sad fate of crossing the serial killer‘s path. Dissatisfied with robbing people, he took advantage of the 65-meter-high Águas Livres Aqueduct to throw his victims from the top of the arch, as if it were a suicide.
In order to achieve these ‘feats’, Diogo Alves stole one of the aqueduct’s master keys so that he could sneak in without anyone noticing him. For a while, the murders went unpunished. Because of the economic and political instability, it was thought that people simply wanted to end their lives.

“The Crime of Rua das Flores”
There were so many incidents that the authorities had no choice but to close the aqueduct. After that, Diogo Alves decided to set up a gang and attack residential houses… and that was the beginning of his end.
In other words, it was precisely one of these crimes that led to his hanging. In particular, the notorious “Rua das Flores Crime”. It was 1839 when Diogo Alves and his ‘cronies’ broke into the house of the renowned doctor Pedro de Andrade, killing him and his family.
The carelessness and the many witnesses left behind served as a forewarning. However, what really led the serial killer to the gallows was the fact that one of the members of his group was arrested and ended up confessing to the crimes and handing over all his companions, including Diogo Alves.

Diogo Alves, one of the last condemned to death
After all, the terrifying Diogo was sentenced to death by hanging in 1840, and the sentence was carried out on February 19, 1841.
However, one curious aspect, to say the least, is that his judicial file does not include, as we have already mentioned, the deaths from the aqueduct. However, this hasn’t stopped the myth from surviving over time.
Head preserved in formaldehyde
Faced with this scenario worthy of a Hollywood movie, but completely unusual in Portugal, his alleged head was handed over to a group of scientists. The aim was to investigate the causes of such cruelty, in a practice known as phrenology, typical of that time.
Even today, Diogo Alves continues to terrify those who visit him in the old Anatomical Theatre, now part of the Anatomy Institute of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.
Preserved in formaldehyde, looking sarcastically calm, Portugal’s most famous serial killer stares at us with his eyes wide open, knowing that his story has crossed borders!