MOSCOW — 1923 · Serial Murder
The "Shabolovka Killer" Case
Between 1921 and 1923, the bodies of men tied up in sacks began turning up across Moscow. Oat grains found in the sacks pointed investigators toward someone in the horse trade. A cab driver and horse dealer living on Shabolovka Street was luring customers to his home under the pretext of selling horses, killing them and taking their belongings. In spring 1923 police searching his house found a body; he fled but was caught the same night in a village outside Moscow. He confessed to 33 murders and was tried for 29. He and his wife, found to be his accomplice, were sentenced to death and shot in summer 1923. The case is regarded as one of the first documented serial murder cases of the Soviet era.
- Date
- 1923
- Place
- Moscow, Russia, Moscow, RU
- Category
- Serial Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 55.7150, 37.6070 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1921Bodies tied up in sacks began appearing in different parts of Moscow.
- 1922Oat traces in the sacks led investigators toward horse dealers.
- Spring 1923A search of the Shabolovka Street house uncovered a body; the killer was caught that night.
- 1923He confessed to 33 murders; he and his wife were sentenced to death.
- Summer 1923The couple were executed by firing squad.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Vasili Komaroff en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Lenta.ru — Василий Комаров lenta.ru ↗
- Moskvich Mag — Шаболовский душегуб moskvichmag.ru ↗
- Wikipedia
- Lenta.ru
- Moskvich Mag
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.