After he was arrested, he confessed to the killings which he put down to the "fury he felt against everything", saying his anger subsided only when he was committing murder.
The self-confessed killer shot his victims dead from a motorbike while "cruising the streets".
He attempted suicide in his cell yesterday.
Among the victims were 16 women in the city of Goiania.
Most of the women, including a 14-year-old girl killed in a park in January and two women in their mid-twenties murdered in May, were gunned down this year.
Police say the assassin, who lived with his mother in the Goias state capital, also confessed to killing transvestites and homeless people.
He was arrested on Wednesday by a police task force set up to catch the serial killer after the string of unexplained murders caused panic among the local population.
Before pulling the trigger, he would shout "robbery", but then flee the scene without taking anything.
Officers swooped on Gomes da Rocha when they discovered he was facing trial for stealing the number plate on a motorbike at a supermarket in Goiania in January.
Days later he was was stopped by police while riding a motorbike with a fake plate.
The suspected murder weapon, a .38 revolver, was seized, along with a motorbike and stolen plates, during a search of the home he shared with his mother.
Local reports said he told police before being taken to prison that he killed his victims to alleviate his feelings of anxiety.
Police chief Joao Gorski, who revealed Gomes da Rocha had confessed to the murders, said: "I believe he is a serial killer. To start with he killed at random but towards the end he established a pattern."
Goias state governor Marconi Perillo said: "I have received confirmation of an excellent piece of news, the identification, arrest and remand in custody of the killer responsible for the deaths of women and street people in Goiania who even confessed to his crimes.
"I never doubted the investigation would lead to the solving of these crimes that affected the tranquillity and integrity of families in Goiania.
"I know this won't fill the hole left by the deaths of loved ones, but I am sure it will serve as some comfort to their families and society."
Families and friends of the women murdered this year staged a series of demonstrations to put pressure on the police and local government.
They wore white and carried photos of the victims.
If Gomes da Rocha is convicted of the crimes he is said to have admitted, he will gain a place in the record books as one of the world's worst serial killers.
The list of the 15 most prolific modern serial killers is topped by Colombian Luis Garavito, a child murderer and rapist known as La Bestia or The Beast.
He is thought to have killed more than 400 mainly street children. His proven victim count is 138.
Pedro Rodrigues Filho, Brazil's most prolific killer, claimed to have killed more than 100 victims.
He was convicted of killing 71 people. He killed his first two victims at the age of 14 and murdered his father and ate a piece of his heart.
Worst serial killers
Luis Garavito, Colombia, 1990s
Proven victims: 138
Possible victims: 172-400+
Pedro Lopez, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, 1969-1980
Proven victims: 110
Possible victims: 310-350+
Daniel Camargo, Colombia, Ecuador, 1974-1986
Proven victims: 72
Possible victims: 150
Pedro Rodrigues Filho, Brazil, 1967-2003
Proven victims: 71
Possible victims: 100+
- Daily Mail
