Irina Viktorovna
Gaidamachuk (Russian: Ирина Викторовна Гайдамачук) (born 1972) is a Russian
serial killer who killed 17 elderly women between 2002 and 2010.
Biography
Gaidamachuk was born in the town of Nyagan. At a young age,
she became addicted to alcohol. Subsequently, her parents were deprived of
parental authority. She moved to Krasnoufimsk in the early 1990s, where she met
a man with whom she later had two children. Her husband Yuri reportedly refused
to provide Gaidamachuk with money for fear that she would spend the money on
alcohol.
Murders
The majority of Gaidamachuk's crimes were committed in
Krasnoufimsk. Similar crimes had been committed in Yekaterinburg, Serov, Achit
and Druzhinino. Another woman, Marina Valeeva, was initially suspected for the
crimes and after pressure from authorities, Valeeva initially confessed to the
murders of Gaidamachuk's elderly victims.
Court
Gaidamachuk was charged with 17 counts of murders and 1
attempted murder. Forensic psychiatric examination conducted in GNTSSSP Serbsky
showed that Gaidamachuk, although she showed some variation in the mind, was
legally sane. In February 2012, the court case began. Gaidamachuk gave a
confession to the indictment during the preliminary investigation; but,
contested this throughout her trial. On June 12, 2012, Gaidamachuk was
sentenced to 20 years in prison.
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The Russian serial killer Irina Gaidamachuk jailed
A court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg has sent serial
killer Irina Gaidamachuk to prison for twenty years. Gaidamachuk, 40, killed
seventeen elderly women so she could rob them.
Gaidamachuk attacked her victims in the Urals region
pretending she was a social worker so they let her into their flats. Once
inside, she attacked the women with an axe or hammer. The first murder was in
2003 and Gaidamachuk was not detained until June 2010. She confessed. The
investigation was troubled by the gender of the perpetrator; the possibility of
a female killer was not considered until a woman survived. After the lone
survivor's account, police still considered it possible the killer was a man
dressed as a woman. Innocent woman Irina Valeyeva was arrested and confessed. More
than 3,000 people were questioned before Gaidamachuk was caught. She changed
tactic for her final victim, Alexandra Povaritsyna, 81, opting to pose as a
decorator. Police followed up descriptions from neighbours of the bogus
tradeswoman. The youngest victim was 61 and the oldest 89. Gaidamachuk was
deemed sane. She said her motive was obtaining money for vodka. She must pay
expenses for her prosecution.
"I lived with her for 14 years but never suspected
anything" said Gaidamachuk's husband, Yury. Yury has since begun a new
relationship. Irina has two children. Russia's worst woman serial killer dubbed
'Satan in a Skirt' after murdering 17 pensioners in eight year reign of terror
Alcoholic killer Irina Gaidamachuk claimed she carried out
her horrific crimes to steal money for vodka. All the victims had their skulls
smashed in with a hammer or axe by Gaidamachuk who pretended to be a social
worker. Police initially believed only a male killer could be so cruel, but
investigation turned on account of sole survivor.
The mother of two Irina Gaidamachuk dubbed 'Satan in a Skirt',
posed as a social worker to gain entry to the flats of her victims. After
securing their trust, the 41-year-old killed them by smashing their skulls with
a hammer or an axe. Then she robbed her victims, who were between 61- and
89-years-old, for the small mounts of cash in their purses.
In all her murders, police say she only gathered a total of
around £1,000 from her victims. Sometimes she killed for as little as £20. She
confessed to police: 'I did it for money. I just wanted to be a normal mum, but
I had a craving for drink. My husband
Yury wouldn't give me money for vodka.
'A court in Yekaterinburg, which is Russia's fourth biggest
city, heard evidence from psychiatrists that she was sane when she committed
her murders. Only one pensioner managed to escape, giving police the vital clue
that the granny killer was a woman. A police source said: 'We believed at first
that only a man could be so cruel as to slaughter in this way.' In fact, during
a bungled investigation, in which the town of Krasnoufimsk was living in fear,
officers also believed the killer could be a man dressed as a woman. They also
arrested the wrong woman, Irina Valeyeva, then 29, extracting a confession from
an entirely innocent person.
After questioning more than 3,000 people they finally
arrested the real killer in 2010. For her final victim instead of posing as a
social worker, she offered to redecorate 81-year-old Alexandra Povaritsyna's
flat. After she bludgeoned the pensioner to death, neighbours gave a
description of the painter and police arrested her. Gaidmachuk was known as an
ordinary mother, who helped out at her younger daughter Anastasia's school.
One friend said: 'I simply cannot believe Irina is a mass
murderer. She was a kind and gentle mother, always eager to help.' Her husband
Yury, who has since moved in with a new partner, said: 'I lived with her for 14
years but never suspected anything.' But there was outrage among her relatives
of her elderly victims that the killer was only sentenced to 20-years in prison.
One said: 'It's little more than one year for each murder. She never deserves
to be freed.'
The judge said he exempted her for five years of the maximum
25 years 'because she is a mother'. But her lawyer Suren Sarkisyan demanded
greater leniency, and has vowed to appeal the sentence.
She remains in a Russian prison today, one of the most hated prisoners, but one of the most sought after by journalists, and other reporters.
As always, stay safe !
Bird
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