World's worst serial killer has horrifying motive for killing 90 women
The world's most notorious serial killer has offered a bone-chilling explanation for slaughtering at least 90 women, admitting hacking his latest victim to death with an axe before setting her alight.
Mikhail 'Werewolf' Popkov, charged with the savage slaying of Tatyana S, a cleaner, whose body he then torched in Angarsk in 2011, may have a death toll "closer to 200," police insiders claim.
The 61 year old former police officer, who targeted females aged between 18 and 50, usually raped his victims prior to killing them with weapons such as axes, hammers, knives, screwdrivers, and spades. At a crime scene near a derelict water pumping station, a shackled Popkov confessed: "I committed the murder."
His justification for these monstrous deeds was even more appalling.
A law enforcement insider reckons his actual victim count is "closer to 200" as he annually confesses to more murders, aiming to better his jail conditions. Popkov, a married father, unleashed a wave of horror on lone women from 1992 to 2011, predominantly in Angarsk, Russia, reports the Mirror US.
His ghastly reason? He sought to "cleanse of prostitutes".
Recounting the lead-up to his latest confessed murder, he said: "I was on a bicycle, about to cross the park... I met this woman I didn't know, or she asked me something, and some conversation ensued."
The row escalated and resulted in him hitting her with a small axe. When asked if he continued the assault after she fell, he responded: "No, I think I just pushed her over there and she fell over there. Then I stepped back, took out a match, threw a match, it went up in flames."
He admitted soaking her in solvent before setting her alight. "And I just got on my bike and took off," Popkov confessed.
"I put the axe right on the grass. Who will be looking for her at that time?" If his confession results in a conviction, it would verify at least 90 murders linked to him.
Already serving two life sentences plus 10 years the man known as the "Angarsk Maniac" for his bloodcurdling series of killings, his latest victim's body was found in 2011, but wasn't initially connected to Popkov.
It is thought to be his last confirmed killing. The Russian Investigative Committee said: "Popkov has admitted his guilt and testified to committing the crime, after which he was transferred [from his high security jail] to the Irkutsk region for the necessary investigative procedures. He has now been charged."
Last year, Popkov owned up to three fresh murders in Russia's Primorsky region, a staggering 2,400 miles from Angarsk in Siberia where he carried out most of his horrific crimes. These additional killings took place when he journeyed to Vladivostok, the Russian Pacific port, to purchase second-hand Japanese motors which he then sold back in his home area after quitting the police force.
Popkov was found to suffer from homicidal mania, described by TASS as "a condition when a person has an irrational desire to kill someone". Despite this, the serial killer was deemed sane.
Despite its moratorium on capital punishment since 1996, Russia refrains from executing even the vilest offenders. In times past, those condemned to death faced execution by gunshot to the back of the head.
A macabre clip from Popkov's personal collection depicts him in the nineties, advancing towards the lens with a blade in hand, reciting a post-war children's rhyme about Nazi POWs assaulting locals.
"I will slash you. I will beat you. Now it's your turn," he utters with a sinister grin. He often lured his victims with offers of late-night lifts in his cop car, only to drive them to secluded spots where he would assault and murder them, dumping their bare bodies in forests or by roadsides.
Popkov once confessed to a judge that he couldn't remember the exact tally of his victims. "I can't say exactly, I didn't keep a record," he stated.
However, the mass murderer conceded in court: "I admit my guilt in full.... Committing the murders, I was guided by my inner convictions."
Following his arrest in 2012, he informed police that his aim was to "cleanse" the streets of "prostitutes". "They abandoned their husbands and children at home and went out to party as if it was the last day on earth," he expressed.
One theory is that an affair his wife Elena had with a coworker may have sparked Popkov's killing spree.
Alexey Mulyavin, 52, admitted to having an affair with Elena before her husband embarked on his horrific spree. "He did not catch us red handed, but he learned about it," the man said.
"You know, it was a very short affair. We were young. And probably everyone has love affairs at work."
Popkov had previously recounted how he found used condoms at his home and suspected Elena of being unfaithful. She refuted the accusations, asserting she allowed friends to use their house for a rendezvous.
Popkov said: "This was the impetus for my future. If I had seen the treason with my own eyes, I would perhaps have done everything differently.
"Everyone goes through such things differently. Some take it easily and forget, others take it painfully. What happened to me? The worst-case scenario."
In 2023, Popkov was sentenced for three previously undisclosed murders in Irkutsk between 1997 and 2003. Two women, aged 25 and 27, were strangled near the Angara River, one of whom was set alight after being soaked in petrol.
The third victim was a 31 year old nursery school teacher and mother of two. Despite Popkov's proposition to join Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine in return for his liberty, his request has been rejected.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
World's worst serial killer has horrifying motive for killing 90 women
The world's most notorious serial killer has offered a bone-chilling explanation for slaughtering at least 90 women, admitting hacking his latest victim to death with an axe before setting her alight. Mikhail 'Werewolf' Popkov, charged with the savage slaying of Tatyana S, a cleaner, whose body he then torched in Angarsk in 2011, may have a death toll "closer to 200," police insiders claim. The 61 year old former police officer, who targeted females aged between 18 and 50, usually raped his victims prior to killing them with weapons such as axes, hammers, knives, screwdrivers, and spades. At a crime scene near a derelict water pumping station, a shackled Popkov confessed: "I committed the murder." His justification for these monstrous deeds was even more appalling. A law enforcement insider reckons his actual victim count is "closer to 200" as he annually confesses to more murders, aiming to better his jail conditions. Popkov, a married father, unleashed a wave of horror on lone women from 1992 to 2011, predominantly in Angarsk, Russia, reports the Mirror US. His ghastly reason? He sought to "cleanse of prostitutes". Recounting the lead-up to his latest confessed murder, he said: "I was on a bicycle, about to cross the park... I met this woman I didn't know, or she asked me something, and some conversation ensued." The row escalated and resulted in him hitting her with a small axe. When asked if he continued the assault after she fell, he responded: "No, I think I just pushed her over there and she fell over there. Then I stepped back, took out a match, threw a match, it went up in flames." He admitted soaking her in solvent before setting her alight. "And I just got on my bike and took off," Popkov confessed. "I put the axe right on the grass. Who will be looking for her at that time?" If his confession results in a conviction, it would verify at least 90 murders linked to him. Already serving two life sentences plus 10 years the man known as the "Angarsk Maniac" for his bloodcurdling series of killings, his latest victim's body was found in 2011, but wasn't initially connected to Popkov. It is thought to be his last confirmed killing. The Russian Investigative Committee said: "Popkov has admitted his guilt and testified to committing the crime, after which he was transferred [from his high security jail] to the Irkutsk region for the necessary investigative procedures. He has now been charged." Last year, Popkov owned up to three fresh murders in Russia's Primorsky region, a staggering 2,400 miles from Angarsk in Siberia where he carried out most of his horrific crimes. These additional killings took place when he journeyed to Vladivostok, the Russian Pacific port, to purchase second-hand Japanese motors which he then sold back in his home area after quitting the police force. Popkov was found to suffer from homicidal mania, described by TASS as "a condition when a person has an irrational desire to kill someone". Despite this, the serial killer was deemed sane. Despite its moratorium on capital punishment since 1996, Russia refrains from executing even the vilest offenders. In times past, those condemned to death faced execution by gunshot to the back of the head. A macabre clip from Popkov's personal collection depicts him in the nineties, advancing towards the lens with a blade in hand, reciting a post-war children's rhyme about Nazi POWs assaulting locals. "I will slash you. I will beat you. Now it's your turn," he utters with a sinister grin. He often lured his victims with offers of late-night lifts in his cop car, only to drive them to secluded spots where he would assault and murder them, dumping their bare bodies in forests or by roadsides. Popkov once confessed to a judge that he couldn't remember the exact tally of his victims. "I can't say exactly, I didn't keep a record," he stated. However, the mass murderer conceded in court: "I admit my guilt in full.... Committing the murders, I was guided by my inner convictions." Following his arrest in 2012, he informed police that his aim was to "cleanse" the streets of "prostitutes". "They abandoned their husbands and children at home and went out to party as if it was the last day on earth," he expressed. One theory is that an affair his wife Elena had with a coworker may have sparked Popkov's killing spree. Alexey Mulyavin, 52, admitted to having an affair with Elena before her husband embarked on his horrific spree. "He did not catch us red handed, but he learned about it," the man said. "You know, it was a very short affair. We were young. And probably everyone has love affairs at work." Popkov had previously recounted how he found used condoms at his home and suspected Elena of being unfaithful. She refuted the accusations, asserting she allowed friends to use their house for a rendezvous. Popkov said: "This was the impetus for my future. If I had seen the treason with my own eyes, I would perhaps have done everything differently. "Everyone goes through such things differently. Some take it easily and forget, others take it painfully. What happened to me? The worst-case scenario." In 2023, Popkov was sentenced for three previously undisclosed murders in Irkutsk between 1997 and 2003. Two women, aged 25 and 27, were strangled near the Angara River, one of whom was set alight after being soaked in petrol. The third victim was a 31 year old nursery school teacher and mother of two. Despite Popkov's proposition to join Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine in return for his liberty, his request has been rejected.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Woman, 20, found naked with throat slashed after 'horrifying' scream in a field
A 20-year-old woman from Minnesota in the US was found dead in a cornfield, naked with her throat slashed and multiple stab wounds, less than a quarter of a mile from the party she had left for a late-night walk. In the summer of 1985, Kristin O'Connell ignored her mother's advice and travelled to Ovid, New York, to visit James Vermeersch, a man she had met on holiday in Florida earlier that year and had been corresponding with ever since. However, the trip took an unpleasant turn when Kristin discovered that James had a secret girlfriend in New York. Kristin was excited about her trip to the Finger Lakes region, planning her journey for August 12. Her mother Phyllis told NBC's Dateline that despite their concerns, she and Kristin's father decided that their daughter was an adult and deserved independence, according to the Morbid Podcast. Kristin's father Michael discovered in August that James had another girlfriend and planned to tell Kristin when she arrived - likely causing her to cut her visit short. "She was so bright with excitement," Phyllis said. Unexpectedly, just a day into the trip, Phyllis received a worrying call from a payphone in Ovid, with Kristin saying she would be coming home the next day, reports the Mirror US. "Something wasn't right in her voice," Phyllis told Dateline. In a shocking turn of events, a young woman named Kristin was found brutally murdered just hours after she went missing. Despite a thorough investigation, law enforcement has been unable to identify her killer even 40 years later. Kristin, who was studying hotel-motel management, had only a few weeks left before the start of her junior year in September 1985. On the night of her disappearance, Kristin was at a trailer on James' family property with his friends. James claimed he was going out to get a pizza, and Kristin said she was going for a late-night walk, something she often did at home. However, when James returned, Kristin was nowhere to be found, and the partygoers went out to search for her but found no trace. The next day, James reported Kristin missing to the Ovid police, stating she was last seen between 11 pm and 11:30 pm, leaving the trailer barefoot and without her purse. Despite the search efforts, Kristin remained missing. James' friend, 17 year old David Chamberlain, corroborated James' story, dismissing any suggestions of quarrels during the party. "She just went for a walk and didn't come back," he said. A massive search effort involving around 80 firemen and police officers was launched to find Kristin, but it was all in vain. The gruesome truth was discovered on August 16, 1985, when searchers stumbled upon a horrific scene. Tragically, Kristin's body was discovered in a cornfield half a mile from where she was last seen. She'd suffered multiple stab wounds and her throat had been cut. Neighbours reported a "horrifying" scream at the time of her murder, although there was no evidence of sexual assault. Detectives suggested she may have been killed resisting an attack, and New York State Police quickly zeroed in on possible suspects with access to the crime scene. The road by the cornfield was known to be used by Seneca Army Depot workers and campers en route to Golden Buck, a bar near James' trailer. With accounts placing Kristin on County Road 139 late that night, speculation arose about her departure, possibly due to drug use at the party she attended. As summer went on, leads grew more disturbing – including sightings of suspicious cars near Kristin the night she vanished. State Police Sgt Thomas Warren made an urgent plea for more information to locate these vehicles, hoping other witnesses might come forward with crucial details. Sensational new leads have emerged in the Kristin O'Connell murder mystery, including tales of potential stalkers on the night in question and a puzzling pillowcase from a local mental health institution found close to where the incident occurred. Adding to the intrigue, an eerily mysterious phone call shook investigators mere days after the murder as an anxious voice instructed police to seek key evidence within the boot of a green Chevy parked on Main Street in Waterloo. The jittery informer said, "I'm getting out of town because I told him not to do it. I told him not to do it. I'm heading out of town," before abruptly ending the conversation. With no trace of the vehicle mentioned, the case takes on a more perplexing angle. Despite official opinions framing this tragedy as a spur-of-the-moment crime, community whispers suggest local bigwigs might harbour secrets regarding what truly happened to Kristin back in 1985. At that time, authorities said: "Everybody at this party came from well to families in the community they are respected in this area." In a further twist, chatter on social media has thrown a spotlight on Donald 'Nutsy' Chamberlain, who not only owned the trailer where Kristin resided shortly before her untimely death but also runs the previously mentioned Golden Buck eatery, famously displaying a sign on-site exiling anyone daring to discuss the O'Connell case. Then-District Attorney Donna Cathy implicated an individual named Gary Harris, as reported by the Democrat and Chronicle in 1995. Cathy pointed out that hairs from an African American were found at the crime scene, highlighting that Harris was the only black male in Ovid at the time. Acting Seneca County Judge W Patrick Falvey called for DNA analysis on hair and blood evidence gathered in 1985 to crack the case; however, these attempts hit a wall due to a lack of sufficient probable cause to tie Harris to the crime. Harris's defence lawyer argued vehemently: "Being in the community or being black in the community does not meet the requisite proof." Officials have stressed that Harris is merely "one of many" individuals of interest in the ongoing investigation. A closer look at the forensic details of this murder case uncovers complexities. For instance, Kristin's bloodied clothes were found neatly placed next to her in the cornfield following her death, with officers conceding that heavy rain that night might have washed away some evidence. Yet, there's still a mountain of physical evidence - a whopping 318 items linked to the brutal murder, including the victim's fingernails, a blood-drenched sweater, the pillowcase, and potentially hundreds of hairs. Despite this trove of evidence and technological progress, no fresh forensic testing is underway. In 2009, a leading Dutch lab offered to analyse evidence from Kristin's case, but the New York State Health Department turned down the offer due to the facility not being certified in New York. District Attorney Richard Swineheart didn't hold back when speaking to the Ithaca Journal, expressing his frustration: "We feel this is our last, best effort to solve this case. We are very frustrated with the bureaucracy of the Department of Health." Despite efforts by Kirsten's mum, Phyllis, and a Minnesota senator, attempts to get the Amsterdam lab certified have hit a bureaucratic wall. The O'Connell family has taken action by starting a petition on demanding DNA testing to push the investigation forward. In a shocking twist in 2010, the New York Inspector General informed Phyllis that a forensic expert who may have been involved in Kristin's case was previously accused of fabricating evidence. Gerry Veeder was caught up in a scandal known as "dry-labbing", where tests are faked to produce quick lab results. Phyllis shared her dismay, recounting Veeder's involvement with the initial evidence in 1985: "In 1985 he did the initial evidence. I don't know how many items but anything to do with cloth because that's what he handled. I mean, my God - this is an important job they're doing there and how could they allow this and not be supervised properly?". In a revelation that seems almost too remarkable, just last year it surfaced that an elite cold case unit, headed by the former chief of the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, had proposed utilising a New York State-recognised forensics lab to scrutinise all the physical evidence from Kristin's murder case for free. This was intended to be part of a documentary on the unsolved homicide being crafted by two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag, which could bypass issues encountered previously with a Dutch lab over a decade ago. But the offer was snubbed by New York State Police, who stood firm against participating in the scheme. Mark O'Donnell, a spokesperson for New York State Police Troop, said that involving outside forces in a live murder investigation goes against their policy. The State Police maintained: "As in all cases, the State Police does not share critical information, evidence or the techniques used in solving cases. By sharing such information, it could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation." Despite seemingly strong evidence related to Kristin's killing, it has continued to baffle authorities. A $10,000 (£7,800) incentive was announced in 2010 for details leading to her murderer's conviction and in 2015, it was announced that police had followed up on over 1,900 leads, all to no avail. Phyllis is adamantly pressing the police to employ modern forensic techniques to re-examine the evidence or to close the case, which would enable her to lodge a Freedom of Information request to review the evidence herself. Moreover, Phyllis is calling for a legal amendment that would mandate every police force to establish dedicated cold case squads, avoiding situations where cases like Kristin's shuffle between different detectives over time. On the matter, she expressed: "I think there are people up there who know what happened but are afraid to come forward. I believe people are scared. I know I can't bring her back. But I can't rest until I find out who did this to her." The Mirror has reached out to Seneca County Police for their input. The authorities continue their appeal for information pertinent to Kristin O'Connell's murder and encourage anyone with insights to get in touch with the New York State Police Major Crimes Unit on (585) 398-4100.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mum's horror death after being eaten by python who swallowed her whole
A mother met a horrifying end after she was killed and subsequently consumed by a python. The woman, a resident of a village, became the second individual in Indonesia to be killed and digested by this species of snake in just over a year. 54 year old Wa Tiba left her home on Muna Island to check on her cornfield when she disappeared, as reported by the Jakarta Post. The field, located approximately 800m from her house, was surrounded by caves, cliffs and several reticulated pythons - the world's longest snakes. Attacks on humans by pythons, which typically prey on small mammals, are supposed to be as rare as winning the lottery and being struck by lightning simultaneously, according to a report by the Washington Post. However, in 2017, the year prior to Wa's tragic death, a man's body was retrieved from a 23-foot-long python, as shown in a disturbing YouTube video, reports the Mirror US. According to the Jakarta Post, Tiba had been worried about wild boars, not snakes, as she walked through her cornfield that night. The pigs had been damaging the crops before she vanished, prompting her to inspect her field. When she failed to return by dawn, her sister ventured out to the field to search for her. Upon arrival, her sister discovered only Tiba's footprints, her torch, a machete and slippers. Approximately 100 villagers from Persiapan Lawela soon joined the search, combing the fields together, as reported by Agence France-Presse. The snake was found a few dozen yards from Tiba's belongings. Reportedly, it was 23 feet long and so bloated it could barely move. A long bulge midway down its body had an alarming appearance. The villagers killed the snake and laid it out on the ground. They then gathered around it, clamouring and crying, with some recording videos as a man knelt and carefully cut across the bulge with a machete. In a scene reminiscent of an incident on another island a year earlier, Tiba lay intact inside the snake, dressed as she had been when she went to check her corn. Despite being intact, she likely didn't die inside the snake as reticulated pythons secure their prey with a bite, then wrap their body around the victim, squeezing until the victim cannot breathe, before consuming them, according to The Associated Press. It's so rare for humans to be eaten, The Post wrote, that it's more common to see hoaxes. A single photo of a snake digesting a pig has previously been used to falsely claim attacks on humans in China, Africa and across Southeast Asia. The two victims in Indonesia were extremely unlucky to fall prey to this species of snake in what was described as very rare circumstances.
