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In Irkutsk Region man charged with killing over 20 women to stand trial

The Siberian Federal District Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee has finished investigating a criminal case over 1994-2000 serial murders of women in the town of Angarsk, Irkutsk Region, opened against Mikhail Popkov. He is charged with crimes under paragraphs “f” and “h” of article 102 of the RSFSR Penal Code, paragraphs “a” and “j” of part 2 of article 105 of the RF Penal Code, part 3 of article 30, paragraph “a” of part 2 of article 105 (murder).

According to investigators in 1994-2000 under the unknown circumstances women started disappearing from public places in the town of Angarsk in the evenings and at nights. Later their bodies with the signs of violent death were found in Angarsk and Usolsk, Angarsk and Irkutsk districts of Irkutsk Region.

In accordance with the social psychological portrait of the murderer, certain categories of people in Angarsk were checked on involvement in the series of murders. In June 2012, the DNA tests found that local resident Mikhail Popkov, a former operative in the Central district police station in Angarsk, had been involved in the crimes. At first Popkov pleaded guilty to killing only three women. However, the investigators gathered evidence proving that Popkov had a hand in the murders of 22 and attempted murders of 2 women.

During the investigation around 300 different forensic medical tests and over 2.5 thousand DNA tests have been run, over 2 thousand witnesses and representatives of the victims have been questioned. There are over 200 volumes of criminal files.

The investigators have gathered enough evidence, therefore, the criminal case with the approved indictment has been sent to court to be tried on the merits.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                     V.I. Markin