Vinko Pintaric

Overview

Vinko Pintarić (3 April 1941 – 25 May 1991) was a Croatian serial killer and outlaw who murdered five people over the course of 17 years and escaped from prisons and police stakeouts on multiple occasions. He was described as violent and vindictive, and he used firearms.

Timeline

• 26 April 1973 — Pintarić shot the neighbor dead and wounded the neighbor's tenant after going to his home to get a pistol following a quarrel.
• 18 September 1973 — Pintarić escaped from Vrapče Psychiatric Hospital.
• 24 October 1973 — Pintarić shot his wife dead through the window of his brother's house and fled.
• 20 January 1974 — Pintarić was captured after police surrounded the house where he was hiding.
• 18 November 1974 — Pintarić was pronounced guilty and sentenced to death; the sentence was quickly commuted to 20 years imprisonment.
• 21 February 1982 — Pintarić escaped from Stara Gradiška Penitentiary by adding his name to a list of prisoners to be released on leave.
• April 1983 — Police apprehended Barbara Šipek; Pintarić barged into a nearby Kucelj family house armed with a shotgun and threatened to kill "thirty people".
• 3 September 1989 — Pintarić did not return after being given a day's leave from Lepoglava prison.
• June 1990 — The police received a tip about Pintarić being seen in Prosenik Začretski; he shot Rudolf Belina dead.
• 2 August 1990 — Božo Habek was shot dead.
• May 1991 — A stakeout was set up on Ankica Buhiniček’s house near Veliko Trgovišće.
• 25 May 1991 — Pintarić died when he was killed by a single gunshot to the head during a police operation at the house.

Background

Vinko Pintarić was born in 1941 in Zrinski Topolovac near Bjelovar. During World War II, his father Ilija joined the Partisan resistance, but near the end of the war he was taken away by Ustasha Army and spent several months with them.

In June 1945, Ilija was beaten by OZNA agents in the presence of his family, including Vinko and his elder brother Josip, and then taken away. Vinko's mother urged Ilija's Partisan comrades to intervene on his behalf, but they refused. Ilija never returned; according to rumors, he was shot the day after his arrest.

Vinko's mother remarried after a couple of years. Vinko’s stepfather was an alcoholic and physically abused him. Vinko often talked about "avenging his father".

In his adolescence, Pintarić developed an interest in firearms and used them for poaching. On several occasions, the police confiscated his illegally owned weapons.

His first marriage lasted only a couple of months. Angered by demeaning treatment from his in-laws, he assaulted them and spent some time in prison. He never returned to his wife.

Pintarić moved to Zabok and married Katica Tisanić, a divorced woman with a child. They built a house in Zabok and had a daughter. The account later described that for a while, he was a good husband and father and wanted to move away from his traumatic childhood and failed marriage.

The offence

First murders and related violence (1973)

On 26 April 1973, Pintarić applied for a job in a local factory but was rejected. He went to a local inn and drank heavily. On his way home, he got into a quarrel and physical confrontation with his neighbors. He went to his home to get a pistol, shot the neighbor dead, and wounded the neighbor's tenant.

He hid for 18 days before turning himself in to the police. He was committed to Vrapče Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation, but escaped on 18 September 1973 and went into hiding again.

On 24 October 1973, Pintarić shot his wife dead through the window of his brother's house and fled into the night. The account described that he was drunk when he committed the crime and had no recollection of the event on the following day. Only after inquiring about what had happened in Zabok did he realize that he had murdered his wife.

Capture and trial for earlier offences (1974)

Pintarić was captured on 20 January 1974. Police learned of his whereabouts and surrounded the house where he was hiding. After brief negotiations, he surrendered without resistance.

He was tried for two murders, an attempted murder, and endangering his neighbors by shooting at their homes. He admitted the crimes but pleaded not guilty, arguing that he was provoked into murder while intoxicated.

On 18 November 1974, he was pronounced guilty and sentenced to death, which he had feared the most. This sentence was quickly commuted to 20 years imprisonment, the maximum prison term under the law.

Imprisonment, escape, and further violence (1982–1990)

Pintarić served his sentence in Stara Gradiška Penitentiary. Due to good behavior, he was assigned duties not accessible to other prisoners, including preparing coffee and growing flowers.

After eight years in prison, problems emerged as Pintarić issued threats to his former neighbors. At the same time, he petitioned for leave. The authorities denied his petitions, assessing he might commit more crimes upon release.

On 21 February 1982, Pintarić escaped from prison by adding his name to a list of prisoners to be released on leave. Five days later, he wrote a letter to his attorney saying that he escaped because writing petitions made no sense any more. He announced he was going to kill a lot of people, and that what he had done was just the beginning.

Pintarić got involved with Barbara Šipek, a woman from the village of Andraševec, near Donja Stubica. They lived together in her house and went stealing together. The account said she knew his identity and that the villagers also knew his identity.

When Barbara Šipek was apprehended by police in April 1983, Pintarić barged into a nearby Kucelj family house armed with a shotgun. He threatened to kill "thirty people" unless she was released. Milan and Matija Kucelj surprised Pintarić and overpowered him, hacking him with a cleaver. They left him for dead and promptly alarmed the Oroslavje police. The account said Pintarić was severely injured and survived, and that as a result he lost full use of his right arm.

Pintarić was charged with threats, attempted murder, and 30 counts of burglary. He was sentenced again to 20 years and sent to Lepoglava prison.

On 3 September 1989, he was given a day's leave from which he did not return. He kept breaking into cottages across Hrvatsko Zagorje, choosing cottages with a clear view toward the road and close to a forest to make escape easier.

In June 1990, police received a tip that he had been seen in Prosenik Začretski near Zabok. They talked to Rudolf Belina, owner of a nearby cottage. A couple of days later, Pintarić visited and shot Rudolf Belina dead, believing Belina had betrayed him to the authorities.

Shortly after that, Pintarić murdered Barbara Šipek's neighbor for having killed one of her chickens. His fifth and final victim was Božo Habek, shot dead on 2 August 1990 simply for asking whether Pintarić was looking for somebody.

The account described that police were closing in on Pintarić and that twice, during near-apprehensions, Pintarić opened fire, wounded a policeman, and escaped.

Death during police stakeout (1991)

By May 1991, the Zabok police had set up a team dedicated to locating and capturing Pintarić. Over time, the police learned more about his habits, including that he was getting increasingly careless partly due to alcohol abuse.

In May 1991, police received information that Pintarić was visiting his lover Ankica Buhiniček. They decided to set up a stakeout on her house near Veliko Trgovišće. On the third night, the policemen saw a man coming from the woods and approaching the house. After they radioed for backup, they were joined by a special forces team from Kumrovec, and the compound was quickly surrounded.

When Pintarić exited the house in the morning, he was called to surrender, but he opened fire instead. There was a brief exchange in which Pintarić was wounded and he ran back into the house. He refused to surrender and asked for his attorney. When the attorney came, Pintarić asked him to come to the house, which the police did not allow. By noon, voluntary surrender was very unlikely, and the police fired tear gas into the compound.

Pintarić then shot Ankica Buhiniček in the stomach, accusing her of "ratting" him, and fired on the police. One of the policemen then entered the house and killed Pintarić with a single gunshot to the head. The woman survived the shooting.

Investigation

Police learned of Pintarić’s whereabouts in the January 1974 capture and surrounded the house where he was hiding, leading to his surrender without resistance.

Later, police set up a team dedicated to locating and capturing him by May 1991. The police received information about Pintarić visiting Ankica Buhiniček and established a stakeout near Veliko Trgovišće, joined by a special forces team from Kumrovec.

Police received a tip in June 1990 about his presence in Prosenik Začretski and identified Rudolf Belina, owner of a nearby cottage.

Arrest

Pintarić was captured on 20 January 1974 after police learned of his whereabouts and surrounded the house where he was hiding; after brief negotiations, he surrendered without resistance.

Trial

In 1974, Pintarić was tried for two murders, an attempted murder, and endangering his neighbors by shooting at their homes.

On 18 November 1974, he was pronounced guilty and sentenced to death, which was quickly commuted to 20 years imprisonment.

Sentencing

Pintarić received a death sentence on 18 November 1974, which was quickly commuted to 20 years imprisonment, described as the maximum prison term under the law.

Later, after the April 1983 incident involving Barbara Šipek and the Kucelj family house, he was charged with threats, attempted murder, and 30 counts of burglary, and was again sentenced to 20 years and sent to Lepoglava prison.

Appeals

No appeals information was included.

Outcome

Pintarić died in a shootout with the police on 25 May 1991 after being killed by a single gunshot to the head during a police operation at Ankica Buhiniček’s house near Veliko Trgovišće.

Aftermath

Pintarić was buried in the Lepoglava cemetery in an unmarked grave.