Serial Killers and Haunted Places

Andrei Chikatilo

Ukrainian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo was truly one of the most despicable and menacing men to ever have walked the earth. Born in 1933, he was nicknamed the “Butcher of Rostov” and the “Red Ripper” in description of the crimes he committed. He butchered 53 women and children between from 1978 to 1990 when he was finally caught. He first lured a nine year old girl to the woods and tried to rape her. When she struggled, he slashed her throat. He achieved sexual gratification at the sight of the dying girl begging and from then on was able to achieve an erection only when he violently killed women and children begging for their lives. He would mostly approach prostitutes’ tramps, but abducted little girls whenever he could. Since he lived in the Soviet era, such crimes tended to be brushed under the carpet because Communist government’s likes to claim that terrible crimes like rape and murder only happened in immoral capitalistic countries. He was captured in 1990 and went to trial in 1992. During the trial process, he was kept in a cage at the centre of the courtroom, ironically for his own protection. The bereaved family members of the victims he had killed were out for his blood and would have lynched him were it not for the cage keeping him safe. A firing squad was dispatched to execute him and he was killed by a single bullet at the back of his head.