Alexander Pichushkin - the Chessboard Killer

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Alexander Pichushkin, 33, was convicted by a jury of his peers for the murder of 48 people in Moscow. According to CNN the jury took just under three hours to deliberate and render their decision of guilt. The jury also recommended that Pichushkin get life in prison, with the first 15 years to be in isolation, due to his violent nature. The jury also found Pichushkin guilty of three attempted murders.

The trial, which lasted for five weeks, was closely watched by the families of the victims and the Moscow press. Pichushkin claimed that he had killed 63 people and was trying to kill 64, the number of squares on a chess board. A chess board was found by police, in the apartment Pichushkin shared with his mother. The numbers one through 62 were written in the squares on the board showing Pichushkin's gruesome idea.

Pichushkin, known as the "Bittsa Maniac" because many of the killings were in Bittsa Park, would lure his victims by promising them vodka if they would come and mourn with him over the death of his dog. Early on he would then strangle his victims and then throw the majority of the bodies into the sewer. The killings, most of whom were homeless, alcoholic and elderly, started about 14 years ago with the majority of them over the last five years. Beginning in 2005 Pichushkin changed his tactics. He was hitting the victims in the head, and sticking the unfinished bottle of vodka into their skull and then not putting a lot of effort into hiding the bodies.

Alexander Pichushkin's downfall was when a woman, his last victim, left a note at home for her son saying she was going for a walk with him in June of 2006. She was later found dead. Pichushkin said he knew about the note but went through with the killing anyway. Video surveillance at a train station the couple walked through confirmed that it was indeed Pichushkin that she was with that night.

This is the biggest serial murder case in Russia since the case against Andrei Chikatilo, who was found guilty of murdering 53 people from 1982 to 1994. Chikatilo was executed in 1994. No timetable has been set for the sentencing of Alexander Pichushkin yet, but it probably will not be execution since Russia has a moratorium on capital punishment due to an agreement with the Council of Europe.