According to the Herald Sun, he would lure the men into isolation with talk of drinking vodka together and/or mourning the loss of his dog. He is believed to have killed at least 48 people and up to 61-63 people in southwest Moscow's Bitsa Park, where several of the victims' bodies were found. He robbed himself of the title he sought. On October 24, 2007, according to The Chicago Tribune, Russia's second-worst serial killer was convicted of 48 murders and three attempted murders. According to Pichushkin, he idolized Andrei Chikatilo, another serial killer who committed horrific killings in Russia. To this day, police are still investigating his case and suspect him of many more murders. The hideous nature of his crimes has renewed interest in re-instituting Russia's death penalty. Newspapers nicknamed Pichushkin the "Bittsevsky Maniac" and "The Bittsa Beast.". [19] During his trial, Pichushkin was housed in a glass cage for his own protection. Little is known of Pichushkin's early years. Then, read about Pichushkins murderous rival, Russian killer Andrei Chikatilo. The ninth girl was still alive. Specifically, once chess stopped satisfying his aggressive urges, he turned to murder. Later on, Pichushkin killed others more directly. June 16, 2006 It was on March 6, 1978, that both Mr. Flynt and his lawyer were shot by Franklin, who confessed in prison after being sentenced for another shooting in which he received the death penalty. In 2006, authorities arrested Pichushkin for the murder of a female coworker. Unable to be sentenced to death after the suspension of the death penalty in Russia in 1996, he received a life sentence with the first 15 years to be spent in solitary confinement. He got a dog that he often walked in the park. Observers said he seemed to be having a ball and that he showed no remorse. Unbelievably, the police refused to investigate the incident and forced Maria to sign a statement saying that she had fallen down the well herself. Pichushkin was born on April 9, 1974, in Mytishchi, Moscow. When Odichuk realized that his classmate was being serious, he tried to back out of the situation. The blows were usually enough to kill them, but other times, he would throw them down a well while they were still alive, sometimes not even using the hammer at all. Boston Herald/Getty Images Molly Bish was just 16 when she disappeared from Warren, Massachusetts in 2000. ", Pichushkin will spend the rest of his life in prison, and the first 15 years of his sentnece will be in solitary confinement. As he now sits on death row awaiting his fate, Steward herself has actively campaigned against the death penalty, supporting what in California is known as Proposition 34, a ballot to replace all death sentences with sentences of life without parole. Pichushkin called his first murder "like first love. Rotten Mango. That chessboard belonged to Alexander Pichushkin, otherwise known as "The Chessboard Killer," one of the most notorious serial killers in Russian history. The Disturbing Story Of Alexander Pichushkin, The Russian Chessboard Killer Who Strove To Kill 64 Victims. Russian authorities convicted Pichushkin in 2007 for 48 murders. M.O. Read the gripping true story of Rodney Alcala in The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders at Amazon.com! Pichushkin moved into his grandfather's home and was encouraged to pursue intellectual pursuits outside of school. He would kill his victims by repeated blows to the head with a hammer, and would then push a vodka bottle into the gaping wound in their skulls. Pichushkin's confession was aired on Russian television. They had lacked clinching evidence - but after evil . After striking Oditchuk over 20 times with the hammer, Pichuskin then dumped his body down a well and returned home to his mother's apartment as though nothing happened. I am going to drop you from the window and you will fall fifteen meters to your death" He then watched these videos repeatedly to reaffirm his power. They parked by a trailer park and the man suggested they go into the woods for some privacy. Psychiatrists propose Pichushkin developed a propensity toward violence after suffering a sharp personality change due to his childhood injury. Diamond is a symbol of everlasting love and once was thought to bring courage. Chessboard Killer, is led into the court room at Moscows City Court in October 2007. Amazon Digital . I killed in order to live, because when you kill, you want to live. [15] He was filmed reenacting his crimes in great detail, a process which is a regular part of Russian criminal investigation. Pichushkin said he wanted to kill enough people to fill the squares on a chessboard - earning him the infamous Chessboard Killer name. An often-used ruse was to say that his dog had died. Acredita-se que ele matou cerca de 49 pessoas - ou . He started in the early 90s and often targeted elderly or transient men, some of which he had formerly played chess with, in the nearby park. Russian media have speculated that Pichushkin was motivated, in part, by a macabre competition with another notorious Russian serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted of killing fifty-two children and young women over a twelve-year period. Life, plus 15 years in solitary confinement According to Absolute Crime, the future murderer suffered a head injury as a child, having fallen off of a swing, which then conked him in the back of the head on the return. Alexander Ivanovich Elistratov (Russian: ; born 1954), known as The Bloody Taxi Driver (Russian: , was a Russian robber and serial killer who killed six of his passengers in Moscow between 2005 and 2007, in addition to non-fatally robbing three others. When she approached, he grabbed her and placed one hand over her mouth, pinned her arms by her sides, and tried to pull her into his van through the back doors. Its unforgettable." [2], In June 2006, Pichushkin offered to go for a walk with his 36-year-old coworker, Marina Moskalyova. After his seven-year killing spree, Pichushkin was convicted of murdering 48 people; some believe the he killed as many as 60, according to FocusTV (posted on YouTube). Pichushkin claims he killed up to 63 people, although that story varies sometimes he credits himself with 61 victims, and sometimes he says he killed more, per Biography. Still, Pichushkin does have some kind words for his captors. It was her testimony that helped convict Ramirez of his crimes during his trail and ensured that he received the death sentence. Police arrested him on June 15, 2006, for Moskalyova's murder. "In all cases I killed for only one reason. If they hadn't caught me, I would never have stopped, never," he stated. By the early 2000s, though, Pichushkin would kill again, luring unsuspecting victims to a park near his house and killing them with a blunt object before throwing them in a sewer pit. Russian serial killer Alexander Pichushkin, nicknamed "The Chessboard Killer," was caught in Moscow and convicted in 2007 of killing 48 people. [18] Pichushkin appealed his sentencing, claiming it was "too harsh" and asking for a reduction to twenty-five years. Alexander Pichushkin. She was only brought in to identify her attacker much, much later when he was finally apprehended under suspicion of 48 murders. Between chess and vodka, the young murderer was able to befriend the homeless men who populated Moscow's parks. Despite the date references, the police were only able to charge Pichushkin with 51 counts of murder and attempted murder (three of his victims survived). Maria, desperate and alone, welcomed the company. Pichushkin, it appeared, was trying to break a record for murders set by Andrei Chikatilo, who killed and mutilated 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990. [1], Alexander Pichushkin was born on 9 April 1974 in Mytishchi, Moscow Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and grew up on 2 Khersonskaya Street in Moscow proper. Pichushkin is remembered to have been an initially sociable child. "I felt like the father of all these people, since it was I who opened the door for them to another world.". According to Pichushkin, his girlfriend Olga broke up with him and began dating his friend Sergei. The note also contained his phone number. She screamed and bit his arm, causing him to drop her just as a friend in the neighborhood came running up to help, scaring Black off. [3] Experts speculated that this event damaged the frontal cortex of Pichushkin's brain; such damage is known to produce poor impulse regulation and a tendency towards aggression. Alexander Pichushkin was born on April 9, 1974, near Moscow. The public envisioned a monster, an animal of a man, potentially more than one man, hiding around every corner, living in shadows, preying on the weak. They began walking around, trying to find someone to kill. Like many brave victims recounted in this list, Tali Shapiro later testified against her assailant, helping to convict him. He first listed 48, then 49, then 61, and later said that it was so high hed simply lost count. Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Alexander Pichushkin, Birth Year: 1974, Birth date: April 9, 1974, Birth City: Moscow, Birth Country: Russia. Inside The Unsolved Murder Of 16-Year-Old Lifeguard Molly Bish, Durian Is One Of Southeast Asia's Most Coveted Fruits And It's Said To Smell Like Gym Socks, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Sergey Shakhidzanyan/Laski Diffusion/Getty Images. Alexander Pichushkin, who claimed to have killed 60 people, stood in a reinforced glass cage with his hands cuffed behind his back as a judge delivered the harshest possible punishment under . Alexander Pichushkin: The Shocking True Story of The Chessboard Killer. But within a few hours he changed his tune, confessing to the woman's murder and much more. located close to the local College. The exact number of his victims is still unknown, but it's more than 20. Alexander Pichushkin, The Bitsa Park Maniac She also got to know the maniac's mother saying "I remember when we met for the first time in the subway, she grabbed my hand, and immediately pulled . Unsatisfied with the ruling, however, he asked the court to please up his victim count by 11, bringing his total number of victims up to 60 murders, plus three attempted. [3], From October 2005 to his final murder in 2006, Pichushkin's modus operandi changed. In 2001, Ridgway was finally apprehended and sentenced to life in prison. Behind bars, the Moscow murderer is something of a celebrity. She escaped the scene of carnage through a bedroom window after he left and screamed for help. Pichushkin, who used to own a dog, told him it was the anniversary of his beloved pet's death and that he wanted to visit his grave. Many of the victims were never found. A Russian serial killer who invited his victims to drink vodka with him before bludgeoning them to death with a hammer has been convicted of 48 counts of murder after a trial that shocked and entranced a nation. Reportedly, when police apprehended him, they found a chessboard with dates correlated to murders with only two spaces left. Rebecca Garde remains his only known surviving victim. He would drink with them, let them imbibe as much as they wanted, then kill them, usually with blows to the head with a hammer. When Pichushkin was 4 years old, he fell backwardoff of a swing. Meanwhile, Pichushkin kept playing chess in Bitsa Park and also developed a sadistic hobby in which he would record himself threatening children. Ratings: 6.86 / 10 from 14 users . In 2007, Moscow police found a chessboard. He would go on to kill again 60 more times. Over the next five hours, she was repeatedly raped and assaulted by him, losing consciousness twice during the attack. Pichushkin was convicted in October 2007. He also later claimed that had he not been stopped, the number would have only climbed. "Having caught me, they saved many lives. Shoving a vodka bottle into the cracks of the skull he just split. Three days later, Pichushkin was questioned by police about Odichuk's death. Check mate. He was convicted of the killings and sentenced to life . On February 23, 2002, he lured the pregnant saleswoman into Bitsa Park and pushed her into the same well where most of his victims were disposed of. [3] This reignited Pichushkin's interest in killing. But how many victims did Pichushkin actually have? Specifically, once chess stopped satisfying his aggressive urges, he turned to murder. Pichushkin, like other serial killers, kept his own unique trophy to document his kills: a log with the . He would go on to kill again 60 more times. For me, life without murder is like life without food for you. Signature As he was sitting up, the swing swung back and hit him . He took particular interest in playing against homeless, elderly men at Moscow's Bitsa Park, drinking copious amounts of vodka along with his opponents. The Chessboard Killer, is a prolific Russian serial killer who murdered 48 people. According to GQ, some were still alive when they were thrown into the dump. Though she did not survive, the police were alerted to her disappearance and the fact that she had been wary of Pichushkin. He then admitted to dozens of murders, telling authorities he attacked his victims and left their bodies in Moscow's Bitsevski (Bitsa) Park and sewer drains. The deepest of these interests was chess. Due to the gruesomeness and number of murders, Russians considered reinstating the death penalty. Pichushkin's crimes were so heinous, Russia even considered re-instituting the death penalty. It wasn't just chess that informed Pichushkin's murder spree, however. Alexander Yuryevich Pichushkin (Russian: , born 9 April 1974), also known as The Chessboard Killer (Russian: ) and The Bitsa Park Maniac (Russian: ), is a Russian serial killer. The two men drank a toast to the dog before Pichushkin suddenly bludgeoned Pronin and dumped his body into a nearby well. In 2007 he was sentenced to life imprisonment. As Russia doesn't have the death penalty, it was the maximum sentence he could receive. Before she left, she wrote down the name of her companion Alexander Pichushkin and his phone number so her son could reach her. 64 squares on a chessboard. Thinking that the boy was dead, Pichushkin left the scene. Pichushkin stood in a reinforced glass cage, his hands cuffed behind his back, while the judge read out the sentence Monday. Days later, he confronted Pichushkin, only to be threatened with arrest by the police. Inserting broken vodka bottles into his victims' skulls, Life, plus 15 years in solitary confinement. He had also carelessly left the tire iron on her bedroom floor. In the press, he became known as the Chessboard Killer, but that might not have been his only game. Together, they crept out of the house. Earlier that day, the two had gotten into an argument, and afterward she found herself distraught in a metro station in Moscow. During his trial, Pichushkin told the courts: "A first killing is like your first love. Since Pichushkin was still a child, the damage would have been more severe, as a child's forehead provides only a fraction of the protection for the brain than an adult's. Following this accident, Pichushkin frequently became hostile and impulsive. Arrested on 16 June 2006 at age 33 years old, Russian serial killer Alexander Pichushkin was convicted of 48 murders and 3 attempted murders. Alexander PIchushkin is led into trial by a court guard. Two nights later, Ramirez perpetrated an almost identical attack against another woman, Joyce L. Nelson, in her home. Due to his rather slender physique, Alexander did not differ in strength and could . To keep creating new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help the Murderpedia project stay alive. [14], Once apprehended, Pichushkin led police officers to the scenes of many of his crimes in Bitsa Park, and demonstrated a keen recollection of how the murders were committed. Investigators were only able to link him to 48 murders, however, and based on that conviction, that's where his gruesome total stands. He was sent to a hard labour colony in Siberia, in a prison referred to as "Polar Owl". : Lured vulnerable, lonely people into Bitsevsky Park on the premise of sharing a drink, bashed their . Eventually, his mother decided to transfer him to a special needs school; however, upon reaching early adolescence, his grandfather removed him from said school. Incarcerated. He even proposed marriage to one of them, though that relationship appears to have come to an end. The unsolved murder of a 16-year-old girl still haunts the town of Warren, Massachusetts. According to reports, the death of his grandfather greatly affected Pichushkin. . Pichushkin committed his final murder on June 14, 2006. Name After his arrest, Pichushkin happily confessed to his crimes, handing his diary over to police, and showing them his most prized possession, a chessboard on which he had kept track of his murder victims. While the police did question him in the case, it was later declared a suicide. Over the course of the rest of his childhood, Pichushkin would suffer bullying, ostracism, and personal tragedies. After 40 years of silence, Rhonda Williams decided that enough was enough and finally worked up the courage to tell of her twisted involvement with one of Houstons most notorious serial killers. True Crime. Through that, they were able to spot her on a surveillance tape walking out of the station, a young man by her side. Chess has, over the centuries, come to be associated with many things. Enraged, Pichushkin struck his friend with a hammer and pushed his body into a well. Following his arrest the police discovered a chessboard with dates on all but two of the squares, apparently connected to the murders he committed. Then Henley reached for the phone and called the police. He is an Aries, a dog lover, and enjoys spending time in the park. Another boy, Tim Kerley, was waiting in the car for them and the three drove away to what Williams thought was safety. Pichushkin bludgeoned him with a hammer three times before throwing him into the well. His final victim, a woman from the store, was suspicious enough of his request. This abuse served to intensify Pichushkin's anger. Gun in hand, Speck forced his way into the home and herded the girls into the common room. For me, life without murder is like a life without food. Molly Bish showed up for her shift as a lifeguard at Comins Pond on June 27, 2000, and vanished, seemingly into thin air. Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. He appeared to be in competition with one of Russia's most well-known serial killers, Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted of 52 murders in 1992. Although Rose Steward has every justification for hating Dean Carter, in an incredible act of forgiveness, she actively campaigns to spare him from the death penalty for her rape and the murders of five other people. Alexander Pichushkin. Since Pichushkin was still a child, the damage would have been more . This weird request made her alert her son to where she was going, and give him Pichushkins number. I just dont think that government should be in the business of killing people. Alexander Pichushkin - Russian Serial Killer AKA The Bitsa Maniac (Bitsevsky Park - ) & The Chessboard KillerMusic: Black Bl. 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