Mikhail Popkov
| Mikhail Popkov | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 7, 1964[1] Russia |
| Other names |
The Wednesday Murderer The Werewolf[2] Angarsk maniac[3] |
| Criminal penalty | Life in prison |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 22-29+ |
Span of killings | 1992–2000 |
| Country | Russia |
Date apprehended | June 23, 2012 |
Mikhail Viktorovich Popkov[1] (Russian: Михаил Викторович Попков; born March 7, 1964) is a convicted Russian serial killer and former policeman who is responsible for the murders of at least 22 women.
Biography
Mikhail Popkov was born on March 7, 1964 in Russia. He worked as a policeman before later becoming a security guard.[4] He has a wife and a daughter. His wife was also in the police and provided an alibi for Popkov several times. It has been speculated that Popkov had been targeting women who resembled his reportedly alcoholic mother who abused him in his childhood.
From 1992 to 2000, Popkov is suspected of murdering up to 29 women. He would pick up slightly intoxicated women who were just leaving bars or parties, using his police car and uniform to gain the victims' trust in some of the murders. Popkov would then drive them to the forest where he raped and murdered them. The victims were reportedly axed, stabbed, or strangled to death. One of the victims was decapitated and another's heart had been ripped out.[2] He would rape the victims after they were deceased as well.[5] One of Popkov's victims survived his attack and later identified a photo of him. However, police chose to believe Popkov's wife, who had provided an alibi. Popkov claimed he stopped killing when he became impotent and contracted syphilis.[5] He had been labeled "The Wednesday Murderer" by police, referring to the day when many of the bodies were found.[2]
He was arrested on June 23, 2012 when he went to Vladivostok to buy a car[6] after having his DNA sampled, along with 3,500 other police officers. He was suspected of killing at least 29 women, 25 of whom were aged 19 to 28 and four who were aged 35 to 40.[2] All of the victims were residents of Angarsk, Irkutsk Oblast.[6] He confessed to 24 murders and was later charged with them on October 31, 2013.[4]
Popkov was sentenced to life in prison in January 2015 after being found guilty of murdering 22 women and the attempted murder of 2 others.[7]
References
- 1 2 "Life News: Ангарский маньяк Михаил Попков выбирал жертв в отделе милиции". Life News. police-russia.info. July 5, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Stewart, Will (November 7, 2013). "Former Russian policeman dubbed The Werewolf raped and slaughtered 24 women who 'resembled his mother'". Daily Mail. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Rus News Journal". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- 1 2 Thomas, Emily (November 6, 2013). "Ex-Policeman, Mikhail Popkov, Allegedly Confesses To Gruesome Murdering 24 Women In Siberia". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- 1 2 "Ex-policeman nicknamed 'werewolf' confesses to murdering 24 women in Siberia". The Siberian Times. November 6, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- 1 2 Chaykovskaya, Evgeniya (June 29, 2012). "Ex-cop arrested as suspected serial killer". The Moscow News. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Mikhail Popkov: Serial rapist and murderer dubbed 'The Werewolf' is jailed after raping and murdering 22 women". mirror.co.uk. January 14, 2015. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.