Alexander Bychkov

Case record: Alexander Bychkov

Timeline

• March 20, 2013 — Alexander Bychkov was sentenced to life in prison.
• March 22, 2013 — A court in Russia’s Penza region sentenced Alexander Bychkov to life in prison for nine murders.
• March 27, 2012 — Russian police arrested Alexander Bychkov after he admitted killing at least six people and eating their hearts and livers.
• December 14, 2012 — Police in the Volga region were about to complete the investigation of the criminal case.
• March 26, 2012 — Reports said Alexander Bychkov had been arrested in Central Russia after confessing to at least six murders.

Background

Alexander Bychkov was a serial killer who sometimes called himself “Rambo.” He referred to himself as “Rambo” and also described a “lone wolf” identity in diary passages.

Alexander Bychkov was 24 years old at sentencing. The case coverage also described him as 23 years old at arrest.

One report described Bychkov as having grown up in a dysfunctional family and having been brought up by a single mother. It described his childhood as difficult and portrayed him as becoming a “cowardly, but a cruel young man.”

Psychologists said Bychkov was committing atrocities to gain credibility in the eyes of his girlfriend, Svetlana. Local newspapers reported that he said the killings instilled self-confidence in him, and that his girlfriend often criticized him for his softness and called him a doormat.

A law-enforcement assessment described Bychkov as forming “a negative attitude towards the people, who abused alcohol and lead a beggary, roguish lifestyle,” and stated that he carefully scrutinized criminal literature and developed a criminal plan.

A psychiatrist, PhD Igor Yanushev, said:

“Such shocking crimes occur on a regular basis, even in much more socially advantaged countries than Russia. Foreign cannibals can be much more sophisticated in their perverted crimes than Russian ones. In Russia, believe me, cannibalism is much more prosaic, but its scale is more impressive. Every year, police catch several cannibals, and it goes about proved cases only. Usually, cannibals are mentally ill individuals.
In most cases, cannibals get into medical, rather than penitentiary institutions after verdict. A person, when recognized mentally ill, undergoes compulsory medical treatment until he or she is healed - it doesn't last for life. After treatment, their case is reviewed again, and that's when they can face a criminal punishment.
I personally know several cases when mental patients were recognized healed and were released to freedom right from the courtroom - the statute of limitations expired. They can be released to freedom, despite the fact that they may commit their hideous crimes in 80 percent of cases.”

The offence

Bychkov was convicted of nine murders. Prosecutors said he targeted alcoholics and the homeless out of disdain for their way of life.

Bychkov lured victims into deserted areas and killed them. Prosecutors said he dismembered them and hid the body parts.

Bychkov used a knife and hammer to butcher nine victims, according to sentencing coverage. Another report described a “common kitchen knife” as used to kill homeless people.

Reports described cannibalism by Bychkov. Authorities said he told investigators he had eaten hearts and livers of victims, and prosecutors said he said he ate the hearts of two victims. One report also stated it was reported that he was eating the livers of his victims.

A law-enforcement officer statement in December 2012 coverage included:

“In two cases, after the murder he separated the heart from the body to eat the human heart later,”

Investigators described that human remains were uncovered at places of burial during investigation.

Bychkov’s diary included a journal description of the killings. Prosecutors said investigators found evidence that Bychkov described all nine killings in a journal with the words:

“The bloody hunt of a predator born in the year of the dragon,”

One report described that Bychkov developed strategies and methods to conceal crime traces, including the bodies of the victims.

According to the December 14, 2012 coverage, Bychkov committed the crimes only during warm months.

The December 14, 2012 coverage stated that, according to his records, Bychkov had killed 11 people, and that the remains of two victims had not been found yet.

Another report stated that there were six bodies found buried behind his house and that “the death toll might be higher still.”

Investigation

Bychkov was arrested for shoplifting and initially told police about bodies buried in his backyard in Belinsky.

A spokeswoman for the investigative committee charged with the case said:

“Six bodies were found buried there,”

and added:

“adding that the death toll might be higher still.”

Prosecutors said investigators found evidence and that Bychkov had described all nine killings in his journal.

Law-enforcement investigation included recovery and examination of remains. One report said the remains of six people were “recovered from the ground and sent for examination,” and that examination revealed Bychkov had chopped his victims into pieces.

A high-ranking source from a law-enforcement body in the region confirmed to Izvestia newspaper that:

“The facts of cannibalism in some episodes did take place,”

Investigators said the suspect identified the victims’ photographs.

In the March 26, 2012 report, an official spokesperson of the investigation committee, as cited by Izvestia, said:

“The suspect identified the photographs of people shown to him. In addition, he pledged involvement in other similar cases,”

Investigators also recovered from the ground and sent for examination, and said he cut out livers and ate them.

Arrest

Bychkov was arrested after being caught shoplifting/stealing and later admitted to murders and buried bodies.

One report said he was arrested last year on suspicion of stealing 10,000 roubles ($320) and merchandise from a hardware store, but he was charged with the murders after investigators found evidence.

Another report described January 2012 conduct at a hardware store, stating that Bychkov broke a window and stole money, kitchen knives and other items in the total sum of about 10,000 rubles ($300).

The March 27, 2012 coverage described that he was arrested for shoplifting, then told police that he had buried bodies in his backyard in Belinsky, a town some 630 km (390 miles) southeast of Moscow.

A police spokesperson statement described his arrest and the discovery of remains, and reported that remains were found in a ravine near his home and that investigation found remains of six people.

Trial

A court in the Penza region convicted Bychkov of nine murders.

Prosecutors said Bychkov described all nine killings in a journal.

The sentencing coverage said the Russian court in the Penza region convicted the 24-year-old who sometimes called himself “Rambo” of nine murders between September 2009 and January 2012.

Bychkov’s diary passages described his girlfriend leaving him. The diary quote appearing across multiple reports was:

“She said I was a wimp, not a wolf … I will show her … Maybe she will stop complaining and understand that I am a lone wolf.”

Another diary passage quoted in the March 26, 2012 report was:

“She blanked me. She said I’m spineless, and I am a lone wolf. I’ll prove it. She doesn’t know and I cannot tell her anything,”

A diary-leaked passage reported by Russian media also contained:

“She said I was a wimp, not a wolf... I will show her... Maybe she will stop complaining and understand that I am a lone wolf.”

A Reuters-style coverage quoted a spokeswoman and stated he wrote in a diary of his crimes that he turned to murder after his girlfriend left him for being “a wimp.”

One report said Bychkov was not charged for cannibalism regarding hearts because there was no evidence to prove it, though prosecutors and other reports described admissions and findings.

Sentencing

Bychkov was sentenced to life in prison.

Reuters-style sentencing coverage said prosecutors said:

• Bychkov targeted alcoholics and the homeless out of disdain for their way of life,
• he lured them into deserted areas,
• killed them,
• dismembered them,
• and hid body parts.

The Reuters-style sentencing coverage said Bychkov was sentenced on Friday to life in prison.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Bychkov was convicted of nine murders and sentenced to life in prison.

One report said that in addition to six bodies found in his yard, Bychkov was found guilty of three more murders and sentenced to life in prison.

Another report stated that Bychkov was not charged over his claim about eating hearts because there was no evidence to prove it.

Aftermath

A report stated that in 2011 a court sentenced disabled man Aleksandr Guplov for these crimes and that it was now evident he was most likely wrongfully convicted.

No further outcome for Aleksandr Guplov was stated.

Other details

Alexander Bychkov was described as having carefully prepared for his crimes by studying examples of similar crimes committed by serial killers, and mastering strategies to conceal crime traces, including the bodies.

The December 14, 2012 coverage described that Bychkov buried remains of “half-eaten corpses” near the town of Belinsky in the south-west of the region.

Multiple reports described that Bychkov’s diary of crimes was found in his home.

Another report said that in passages from Bychkov’s diary leaked to Russian media, he described that his girlfriend had kicked him out.

A report also said that Russian media called him a “cannibal serial killer.” Another report described him as “young cannibal” and “serial killer.”

The Reuters-style coverage included background comparisons to other Russian serial killers, including Andrei Chikatilo, Alexander Spetsivtsev, and Alexander Pichushkin. These comparisons were included in the narrative but did not provide additional case facts about Bychkov beyond contextual statements.