Anatoly Onoprienko
Anatoly Onoprienko was one of Eastern Europe's most savage and prolific
serial killers. Over a span of six years from 1989 to 1996 he murdered
at least 52 people across the Ukraine. Born in the town of Lasky in
Zhytomyr Oblast, Onoprienko was the younger of two sons; his brother,
Valentin, was thirteen years older. His father, Yuri Onoprienko, was
decorated for bravery during World War II.When Anatoly was four years
old, his mother died. He was cared for by his grandparents and aunt for
a time before being handed over to an orphanage in the village of
Privitnoe. According to Onoprienko, he resented the fact that he had
been given away by his father, while his brother continued to stay
under his care. In one interview, Onoprienko later alleged that it was
this that predetermined his destiny, and remarked that seventy percent
of those brought up in orphanages end up in prison as adults.
Onoprienko's killing spree began in 1989 with a family of ten that was
killed during a robbery when they stumbled upon him. Onoprienko
confessed that he and an accomplice, Sergei Rogozin, a gym patron with
whom he robbed several other homes, committed the family murders with
weapons that they carried for self-defense. He also stated that he cut
off all contact with Rogozin afterwards. The victims consisted of two
adults and eight children. In that same year, five people, including an
11-year-old boy, were shot dead while sleeping in a car before their
bodies were burned. Onoprienko confessed that the murders were
unintentional and that he only planned to burglarize the car. On
December 24, 1995, the Zaichenko family of four were killed with a
sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun during a robbery in their home at
Garmarnia, a village in central Ukraine, which was set ablaze
afterwards. On January 2, 1996, a family of four were shot and killed.
The murders were quickly followed by a male pedestrian whom Onoprienko
killed out of necessity in order to eliminate potential witnesses. On
January 6, 1996, Onoprienko allegedly killed four people in three
separate incidents on the Berdyansk-Dnieprovskaya highway, by stopping
cars before killing the drivers. The victims were Kasai, a Navy ensign;
Savitsky, a taxi driver; Kochergina, a kolkhoz cook; and an
unidentified victim. On January 17, 1996, the Pilat family of five were
shot and killed in their home, which was then set ablaze. Two potential
witnesses were then killed, a 27-year-old railroad worker named
Kondzela and a 56-year-old pedestrian named Zakharko. On January 30,
1996, Marusina, her two sons, and a 32-year-old visitor named
Zagranichniy were all shot dead in the Fastova, Kievskaya Oblast region
of Ukraine. On February 19, 1996, the Dubchak family was killed in
their home in Olevsk, Zhitomirskaya Oblast. According to Onoprienko, he
shot and killed the father and the son, mauled the mother to death with
a hammer, and demanded money from the daughter before mauling her to
death as well when she refused. On February 27, 1996, the Bodnarchuk
family was killed in their home in Malina, Lvivskaya Oblast. According
to Onoprienko, he fatally shot the parents and then hacked the
daughters, aged seven and eight, to death with an axe. An hour later,
Onoprienko then allegedly shot and killed a neighboring businessman
named Tsalk who was wandering around the Bodnarchuk property, hacking
his corpse with the axe afterwards. On March 22, 1996, the Novosad
family of four was Onoprienko's last alleged victims. According to him,
he shot and killed all of the family members and set their home on fire
to eliminate any traces of evidence. The killings followed a set
pattern. He chose an isolated house and gained the attention of the
occupants by creating a commotion. He would then kill all occupants
starting with the adult male, before going to find and kill the spouse
and finally the children. He would then usually set the buildings
alight in an attempt to cover his tracks. He would also kill any
witness unlucky enough to cross his path during his murderous rampages.
Onoprienko was finally captured on April 16, 1996. His trial occurred
two years later in late 1998 where he confessed to his crimes in court
from inside a steel cage inside the courtroom. Onoprienko was convicted
of all 52 murders and sentenced to death, but the sentenced was later
commuted to life in prison as a requirement with the Ukraine joined the
council of Europe. After 17 years in Zhytomyr prison, Onoprienko died
of heart failure on August 27, 2013 at the age of 54.