Gennadiy Mikasevich


Written By Queenie

Between 1971 and 1985, 36 women were strangled in the surroundings of Soloniki in White Russia. It wasn't until 1984 that a detective realized all of the murders were committed by one man, because of the striking resemblance of the cases. Meanwhile, four different 'offenders' had already been taken in custody and convicted, although the murders simply continued. The investigators however, thought that wasn't a problem: they'd done their jobs; they had arrested the killer and got promoted. The new murders didn't have anything to do with their cases. At most, there could be talk of a copycat killer. However, fame could not be obtained, because such outrages scrupulously were averted from the national newspapers.

In 1974, the first 'killer' was already convicted to ten years of imprisonment. In 1980, N.S. Tereniv got executed. An other 'killer' became blind while serving his sentence, and Oleg Adamov got convicted to 15 years in prison.

In February 1984, a girl student was murdered. This caused drew the attention of police inspector Nicolai Ignatovich. He was stricken by the resemblance with other murders committed in that area. He decided to investigate the case profoundly. Witnesses often had seen a red Russian car, a Zaparoshet, in the surroundings of the crime scene. Ignatovich followed up this clue and started up an intensive investigation. If the killer even had been aware of this investigation, it didn't stop him. In 1985, two more women were killed. He left a message on the bodies, signed: 'the patriot of Vitebsk'. Earlier on, the police had received a letter, written in the same handwritings. The author mentioned in that letter he had committed the murders because he wanted to revenge himself on adulterous women. It didn't matter if this was the truth or not, at least, Ignatovich had the disposal of the killer's handwriting.

Eventually, the gigantic list of potential suspects that was composed of the owners of a red car, reduced. Ignatovich realized there was a man living in Soloniki who could help him answering a lot of questions. When he went to a firm where motorized vehicles were being repaired and checked the handwriting of the author of the letter with those of the employees, he got to a breakthrough in the investigation. On a receipt for delivered merchandise, he found the exact same handwriting. The signature belonged to Gennadiy Mikasevich, who was responsible for the company.

Mikasevich initially denied all charges of the murders, but after an intense interrogation, he made a clean breast of it. Later on, he guided the investigators to the spot where he had hidden the belongings of his victims. He confessed he didn't have any trouble enticing the women. Mikasevich simply offered them a ride in his red Zaparoshet and they enthusiastically agreed. In a Russian provincial town, a ride in a car was something you didn't refuse.

Ironically, Mikasevich diligently took part in the search for the serial killer. In his spare time, he was a volunteer at the local police, and in order not to be suspected, he helped eagerly with the investigation. With other volunteers, he held up red cars, interrogating the drivers who were reported on Ignatovich's list.

It is not known when Mikasevich got executed, but most likely, it happened between 1985 and 1988.



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