José Tiago Correia Soroka is a Brazilian national from the municipality of Palmas, in southern Paraná. He later moved as a child to Abelardo Luz, in the state of Santa Catarina. Soroka is the father of two children and, prior to his known murders, had a criminal record for robbery in 2015 and 2019. He was also the subject of a protective order requested by an ex-girlfriend. At the time of the murders, Soroka was living in Almirante Tamandaré, part of the Greater Curitiba area of Paraná. He was known by the nicknames “Coringa” (Joker) and “Japa.”

In 2021, Soroka targeted gay men who lived alone, arranging meetings with them through dating apps. His method involved suffocating the victims and then stealing their possessions. His first known murder took place on 16 April 2021, when he killed teacher Robson Olivino in Abelardo Luz, Santa Catarina. On 27 April 2021, he murdered nurse David Júnior Alves Levisio in Curitiba, Paraná. One week later, on 4 May 2021, he killed medical student Marco Vinício Bozzana da Fonseca, also in Curitiba.

On 11 May 2021, Soroka attempted to kill a fourth victim, an architect in the Bigorrilho neighborhood of Curitiba. The intended victim managed to escape and alerted the police. Security camera footage linked Soroka to the scenes of the previous murders and was released publicly to aid in his capture. He was arrested on 29 May 2021 in the Capão Raso neighborhood of Curitiba.

In July 2022, at the age of 33, Soroka stood trial. On 8 July 2022, Judge Cristine Lopes sentenced him to 104 years and 4 months in prison for robbery, aggravated robbery, and extortion in connection with the murders. He has been incarcerated in Brazil since his arrest in 2021.