Andrei Chikatilo - the Rostov Ripper

1. Andrei Chikatilo- the Rostov Ripper By Jennifer Carr

2. What makes a Serial Killer? • Unusual motivation for acts that differ from the rest of society • Abusive childhood • Sexual/physical inadequacies • Personality that is either very introverted or very demanding • Often very well educated with a high IQ • Many times do not think what they’re doing is “evil” • They may know it’s wrong, but they keep doing it anyway

3. Family • Father drafted to serve against the Germans in WWII (Roman), then was branded a traitor by their neighbors after being released by the American forces • Mother a controlling, demining shrew (Anna) • Older brother Stepanwho was apparently kidnapped and cannibalized by starving neighbors when he was 10 during one of the many famines when Stalin started the crop seizures and redistributions (no record of Stepan or his death actual exists) • Younger sister Tatyana

4. Early life • Born on October 16, 1936 in Ukraine • Was born with a misshapen head due to water buildup in his brain • Due to an illness he contracted in childhood, Andrei suffered from chronic bedwetting, for which his mother would berate and abuse him for • The disease also made him impotent, though he was able to sire 2 children

5. Personality • Extremely introverted • Instead of gaining social connections with other people, he would descend into violent and sexual fantasies • Was teased extensively about his impotency • Was a very smart, if shy person

6. Schooling • Applied to Moscow State University in 1953 • Passed the entrance exam but his school history was not good enough to gain him admission • Performed his compulsory military service from 1957-1960 • Became a teacher of Russian Literature with a degree and taught at several schools until he was accused of molesting several students of both genders

7. Marriage and children • Married a woman introduced to him by his younger sister • He was unable to perform normal intercourse • Would ejaculate outside and push the sperm in manually • By this method he sired two children • Ludmila, in 1965 • Yuri, in 1969 • His wife would also berate him on his impotency, just like his mother

8. First signs of the Killer to be • Andrei first ejaculated was at 17 • Happened while chasing down one of his sister’s 11 year old friends during a game • After he tackled her and she was fighting underneath him, the violence gave him a weak ejaculation, but with no erection • From then on, he associated violence with sexual pleasure • Derived pleasure form watching the bombing on his town from the war and the devastation it caused

9. First Kill • Yelena Zakonova- 22 December, 1978 • 9 years old • Had secretly rented out a shack near Rostov-on-Don • Attempted to rape her, but when he could not get an erection, he proceeded to choke and stab her • It was during the stabbing that he managed to ejaculate, but again, with no arousal or erection • Dumped her body into a nearby river • Would go on to kill between 53-70 victims

10. Notable Murders, in order • Yelena Zakonova-9 (F) December 22, 1978 • First Murder • Oleg Pozhidayev-9 (M) August 13, 1982 • First ever male victim • Body was never recovered • Laura Sarkisyan-15 (F) • While no direct date of death was clearly determined, Russian authorities could tell she’d been killed sometime after June 18, 1983 • Her body was never found

11. Notable Murders (cont.) • Unknown Female victim (18-25 years old) Summer 1983 • Was most likely a prostitute who thought Chikatilo was a potential client • Natalya Shalapinina-19 (F) January 19, 1984 • Friend of the 9th victim, Olga Kuprina • Marta Ryabenko-45 (F) February 21, 1984 • Chikatilo’s oldest victim

12. Notable Murders (cont.) • Tatyana Petrosyan-32 (F) and Svetlana Petrosyan-11 (F); Mother and daughter • Killed May 25, 1984 • First time two murders were committed at the same time or of two relatives • Unknown woman (20-25 years old) • Was killed sometime between 8th-11th of August, 1984 • Irina Gulyayeva-18 (F) August 27, 1985 • Body was found day after Chikatilo murdered her • Fastest any of the victims had ever been found

13. Notable Murders (cont.) • Yuri Tereshonok-16 (M) September 15, 1987 • Was one of the bodies Chikatilo himself led the authorities to after his arrest • Unknown woman (18-25 years old) • Was killed sometime between 1st-4th of April, 1988 • Yevgeniy Muratov-15 (M) July 14, 1988 • First victim to be killed near Rostov since 1985 • Tatyana Ryzhova-16 (F) March 8, 1989 • Killed in Chikatilo’s daughter’s apartment

14. Notable Murders (cont.) • AleksandrDyakonov-8 (M) May 11, 1989 • Killed one day after his 8th birthday • Aleksey Moiseyev-10 (M) June 10, 1989 • Second victim that Chikatilo lead authorities to after his arrest • Aleksey Khobotov-10 (M) August 28, 1989 • Third victim that Chikatilo lead authorities to after his arrest • Viktor Tishchenko-16 (M) October 30, 1990 • Was the victim who wounded Chikatilo, helping to arrest and convict him • Svetlana Korostik-22 (F) November 6th, 1990 • Chikatilo’s last victim

15. Common Factors • Most Victims female • All but a few were under 25 years old • Common injuries: • Raped/Stabbed • Eyes cut/gouged out • He was extremely superstitious and believed that the victim’s eyes would retain his image after death • Genitals/breast/tongues of victims removed • Semen usually left at scene on or near victims • This was before DNA testing, so guilty individuals could not be determined easily

16. Media Attention • While most serial killers thrive on media attention, Chikatilo did not • Every time the police released information on the crimes, he would go into a hibernation period until: • He thought it was safe • He couldn’t control his violent sexual urges any longer • A movie was made about Chikatilo called Citizen X • This was a play off the codename the police called him (Suspect X)

17. Arrest • Chikatilo almost caught 1 time before • After he was finally caught as the real perpetrator • It took so long originally because torture was still an acceptable means of confession in the USSR at the time, so many false confessions were given • Finally revealed everything to the psychiatrist assisting the police in profiling the killer, AlexandrBukhanovsky

18. Trial and death • Chikatilo determined to be sane enough to stand trial • He was placed inside a cage to prevent the families of the victims from killing him • Several time over the proceedings, he would drop his trouser and reveal his genitals whenever someone in the crowd would accuse him of being homosexual • He was found guilty of 53 if the 56 counts of murder • The only reason 3 didn’t count is because they couldn’t find the bodies • Was killed by a single bullet behind the right ear in a soundproof room on Valentine’s Day, 1994

19. Psychopath • Was Andrei Chikatilo a psychopath? • Had little remorse over the murders • Did not see these acts as particularly evil • Did not target one specific group or ethnic race for the murders • Technically… yes • Was he evil? • Because he felt no remorse for what he had done, and the murders were not committed for some higher goal (such as religion or ethnic cleansing), then yes I consider him evil

20. Motives • Needed the feel of sexual power • Whenever he would, he would go after street girls and female runaways • Boys were a last resort if he could not lure away any women • Preferred children, since they were free of prejudice and would not “judge” him for what he did to them • Would occasionally remove and keep the genitals, tongues or breasts of his victims as reminders