Fernando Rosas

Fernando Rosas was a Brazilian who killed eight people and wounded one other in Blumenau, Brazil, on September 13, 1878, before escaping.

Rosas, a wealthy farmer, lived unhappily with his wife, six children, and two maids on the outskirts of the town. During the night, Rosas got into a quarrel with his wife, which culminated in him hacking her several times on the face with an axe. He afterwards decapitated his three youngest children, and when one of the maids rushed to the room, alerted by their screams, he wounded her with a shot the arm. Rosas afterwards set his house on fire while the maid, the only survivor, ran towards the town to spread the news of what happened. When authorities came to the scene, the house was completely burned down and Rosas was nowhere to be found.