Gennady Mikhasevich
Encyclopedia
Gennady Modestovich Mikhasevich was a Soviet serial killer
. He murdered 36 women during the period from 1971 to 1985 in Vitebsk
, Polotsk and the rural areas in the nearby regions of the Byelorussian SSR.
to Polotsk. It was late so he could not catch a bus to Polotsk where his parents lived. Mikhasevich reported he was feeling desolate because of the breakup with his girlfriend and had prepared a loop to hang himself
. However, he accidentally met a young woman on the road. He decided to kill her, venting his anger on her. He murdered again in October, 1971, and strangled 2 other women in 1972, near Vitebsk. Mikhasevich graduated from a technical school in Vitebsk in 1973 and returned to Ist, starting to work in a sovkhoz
. He became married in 1976. In the meantime, the murders went on.
Many of his murders coincided with rape
. He either strangled or smothered his victims, either assaulting them in solitary locations or (during later years) after having allured them (e.g. hitchhikers) into his own car (he possessed a red Zaporozhets) or the machines of his workplace (he later had a job in machine repair service). He did not carry weapons or other instruments of murder with him, instead, he used improvised means, sometimes rather 'exotic' ones, e.g. a cord made of rye
. Besides killing, he robbed his victims of money and valuable items (that he would sometimes give to his wife as a gift), and sometimes even of household items like scissors.
In outward appearance, Gennady Mikhasevich was a good family man, a teetotaller, had two children, was a conscientious worker; he was also member of the Communist Party (also served as a local party functionary) and of Voluntary People's Druzhina
.
The investigation started to advance in the 1980s, as the young investigator Nikolay Ignatovich firmly stood up for the idea, that all the killings of females near motorways in the region are committed by one person, a serial killer
, not separate murderers, as the investigators had conveniently presumed. The Militsiya also detected that the serial killer was using a red Zaporozhets; as they started checking all the people of the oblast, who possessed such a car, Mikhasevich as a druzhinnik
participated in these actions, in a way searching for himself. This also enabled him to learn of the steps the investigators were taking beforehand. The year 1985 was especially 'prolific' for the murderer: he killed 12 women in this year alone.
Eventually, Mikhasevich, who was now getting concerned, made a fatal mistake: in order to derail the investigation, he sent an anonymous letter to the local newspaper on behalf of an imaginary undeground organization 'Patriots of Vitebsk', supposedly calling his fellow militants to intensify their struggle of killing communists and lewd women. When he left a similar hand-written note next to his new victim, again signed on behalf of 'Patriots of Vitebsk', the investigators started to ascertain the handwritings of the male residents of the oblast. Having checked 556 thousand samples, the experts detected that the sample with the handwriting of Gennady Modestovich Mikhasevich had striking resemblance with the handwriting on the murderers' notes. Further investigation revealed other evidence convincing them of Mikhasevich's guilt.
He was finally arrested on december 1985, he confessed after initial denial and was sentenced to death and executed in 1987. His case became notorious in the USSR (“The Vitebsk Case” (“Витебское дело”)), as it revealed both the incapability of the militsiya and the corruption of the law enforcement agencies
: by the time Mikhasevich was finally arrested, 14 people had already been convicted for the crimes Mikhasevich committed, the suspects had been often forced to confess by torture, and a couple of them had been sentenced to death and executed for the crimes they did not commit.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. He murdered 36 women during the period from 1971 to 1985 in Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, Polotsk and the rural areas in the nearby regions of the Byelorussian SSR.
Biography
Gennady Mikhasevich was born in the village of Ist (Vitebsk Oblast) in 1947, and served in the army. He committed his first murder on 14 May 1971. He himself later explained that the killing spree started after he had returned from the army only to find out that his girlfriend had left him and became married in the meantime. At the night of 14 May 1971, he was on his way from VitebskVitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
to Polotsk. It was late so he could not catch a bus to Polotsk where his parents lived. Mikhasevich reported he was feeling desolate because of the breakup with his girlfriend and had prepared a loop to hang himself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. However, he accidentally met a young woman on the road. He decided to kill her, venting his anger on her. He murdered again in October, 1971, and strangled 2 other women in 1972, near Vitebsk. Mikhasevich graduated from a technical school in Vitebsk in 1973 and returned to Ist, starting to work in a sovkhoz
Sovkhoz
A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
. He became married in 1976. In the meantime, the murders went on.
Many of his murders coincided with rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. He either strangled or smothered his victims, either assaulting them in solitary locations or (during later years) after having allured them (e.g. hitchhikers) into his own car (he possessed a red Zaporozhets) or the machines of his workplace (he later had a job in machine repair service). He did not carry weapons or other instruments of murder with him, instead, he used improvised means, sometimes rather 'exotic' ones, e.g. a cord made of rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
. Besides killing, he robbed his victims of money and valuable items (that he would sometimes give to his wife as a gift), and sometimes even of household items like scissors.
In outward appearance, Gennady Mikhasevich was a good family man, a teetotaller, had two children, was a conscientious worker; he was also member of the Communist Party (also served as a local party functionary) and of Voluntary People's Druzhina
Voluntary People's Druzhina
Voluntary People's Druzhina variously translated as Voluntary People’s Guard, People’s Volunteer Squads, People's Volunteer Militia, etc. were voluntary detachments for maintaining public order in the Soviet Union similar to the Neighborhood Watch...
.
The investigation started to advance in the 1980s, as the young investigator Nikolay Ignatovich firmly stood up for the idea, that all the killings of females near motorways in the region are committed by one person, a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, not separate murderers, as the investigators had conveniently presumed. The Militsiya also detected that the serial killer was using a red Zaporozhets; as they started checking all the people of the oblast, who possessed such a car, Mikhasevich as a druzhinnik
Voluntary People's Druzhina
Voluntary People's Druzhina variously translated as Voluntary People’s Guard, People’s Volunteer Squads, People's Volunteer Militia, etc. were voluntary detachments for maintaining public order in the Soviet Union similar to the Neighborhood Watch...
participated in these actions, in a way searching for himself. This also enabled him to learn of the steps the investigators were taking beforehand. The year 1985 was especially 'prolific' for the murderer: he killed 12 women in this year alone.
Eventually, Mikhasevich, who was now getting concerned, made a fatal mistake: in order to derail the investigation, he sent an anonymous letter to the local newspaper on behalf of an imaginary undeground organization 'Patriots of Vitebsk', supposedly calling his fellow militants to intensify their struggle of killing communists and lewd women. When he left a similar hand-written note next to his new victim, again signed on behalf of 'Patriots of Vitebsk', the investigators started to ascertain the handwritings of the male residents of the oblast. Having checked 556 thousand samples, the experts detected that the sample with the handwriting of Gennady Modestovich Mikhasevich had striking resemblance with the handwriting on the murderers' notes. Further investigation revealed other evidence convincing them of Mikhasevich's guilt.
He was finally arrested on december 1985, he confessed after initial denial and was sentenced to death and executed in 1987. His case became notorious in the USSR (“The Vitebsk Case” (“Витебское дело”)), as it revealed both the incapability of the militsiya and the corruption of the law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
: by the time Mikhasevich was finally arrested, 14 people had already been convicted for the crimes Mikhasevich committed, the suspects had been often forced to confess by torture, and a couple of them had been sentenced to death and executed for the crimes they did not commit.