Mikhail Popkov, known as the “Werewolf,” has been sentenced to an additional ten years in prison after being convicted of murdering two more women. This brings his confirmed victim count to an astonishing 92. The 61-year-old former police officer was found guilty by an Irkutsk court for the 2008 killings of two 27-year-old friends, who were brutally murdered near the Angarsk Electromechanical Plant.
Popkov’s crimes, which spanned from 1992 to 2011, predominantly involved targeting women aged between 18 and 50. He sexually assaulted most of his victims before killing them using various gruesome methods, including axes, hammers, knives, and strangulation. Despite already serving two life sentences and an additional 19 years, he confessed during a chilling crime reenactment that he had strangled both women after they had rejected his advances.
The bodies of the latest victims were discovered in a forest along the M-53 highway, but at the time, Popkov had not been identified as the murderer. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, during the attack, he first ensnared one woman while she was seated in his car, then returned to kill her friend. The harrowing details reveal a calculated approach to his heinous acts.
Background and Modus Operandi
Popkov’s violent spree primarily took place in and around Angarsk, located about 2,400 miles from the Primorsky region, where some of his earlier murders occurred. Following his departure from the police force, he engaged in reselling used Japanese vehicles while continuing to prey on solitary women. He often lured his victims by offering late-night rides in his patrol car, taking them to secluded areas where he would assault and murder them before disposing of their remains.
In court, Popkov expressed a twisted justification for his actions, claiming he wanted to “cleanse” society of women he labeled as “prostitutes.” He stated, “They abandoned their husbands and children at home and went out to party as if it was the last day on earth.”
Psychiatrists have diagnosed Popkov with homicidal mania, a condition characterized by an irrational desire to kill. Despite this diagnosis, he was deemed mentally competent to stand trial. Russia has maintained a moratorium on capital punishment since 1996, though there is ongoing speculation regarding the potential reinstatement of the death penalty under President Vladimir Putin.
Personal Life and Possible Motivations
Popkov’s personal life may have played a role in his violent behavior. He has previously suggested that his wife’s supposed infidelity was a turning point for him. Alexey Mulyavin, a man who had a brief relationship with Popkov’s wife, confirmed that Popkov learned of the affair, which he believed influenced his subsequent actions.
Popkov described his emotional turmoil, stating, “If I had seen the treason with my own eyes, I would perhaps have done everything differently.” He recounted how finding used condoms at home made him suspect his wife’s loyalty.
Disturbing footage from family home videos shows Popkov in the 1990s, wielding a knife and reciting a children’s rhyme with sinister undertones. This glimpse into his psyche adds another layer to the chilling narrative of a man who has left a trail of devastation across Russia.
As investigations continue and further information emerges, Popkov’s case remains a grim reminder of the depths of human depravity and the complex motivations behind such heinous acts.
