Vyacheslav Markin

While investigating the murder in Mokhovoye, one of the operatives drew attention to the children's swing near the house of Markin's mother-in-law, which had been tied into a sea knot. The same exact knots were found tied to the victims' bodies in Mokhovoye, Ryazan and Novomichurinsk, and the body of Ryabchikov in Skopin. A search was carried out of Markin's wife's apartment, from which stolen items were seized. Markin was soon arrested at a hotel in Ryazan, and in his hotel room were found stolen items from the last murder in Novomichurinsk. His case was led by the famous Ryazan investigator Dmitry Plotkin. Markin remained silent, but soon confessed under the weight of the evidence, talking cold-bloodedly and without regret about the murders. In 1992, when the materials of the case had already been referred to the court, Markin hanged himself in his cell.

In the spring of 1991 in Ryazan, Markin involuntarily crossed paths with the former cellmate Ryaby Ryabchikov, who was about to kill him. However, everything turned out exactly the opposite, and together with his buddy Markin killed Ryabchikov with particular cruelty, enjoying the process. Then they took the body to the Skopinsky District, threw it near the railway embankment on Skopin-Briquette and unsuccessfully tried to burn it. After that, Markin realized that it was not difficult to commit murder. During a robbery in Ryazan, he killed the apartment's landlady, who found him during the crime. The most terrible crime he committed was a triple murder in the village of Mokhovoye, where his mother-in-law lived. At night, Markin climbed into the house of a neighbor, who had a sister-in-law and a small grandson. Markin tied them up, raped the daughter-in-law, tortured the child to death, and then brutally killed the mother and grandmother, then set the house on fire. In the morning he arrived in Novomichurinsk, climbed into the first apartment he found, and killed the mistress who was present.

After his release, Markin went to the town of Skopin in Ryazan Oblast, where his fellow colony friend lived. There he met a divorced woman, and they began a romantic relationship. He honestly confessed to her that he had been convicted, but it was due to a false denunciation. They got married, and Markin took his wife's last name. In the city he had a reputation as a decent, working man. He would always tell his wife that he was going on business trips, when in fact he was robbing people's apartments, bringing money and bags full of items home. Soon his wife became pregnant, so Markin committed more and more robberies to keep treating her well. In late 1990, in Ryazan and in Moscow, he was caught at the crime scene by the apartment owners. He beat them and then tied them with special "sea" knots, which got even tighter when they tried to get free. Both victims miraculously survived.

Vyacheslav Vasilievich Markin (Russian: Вячесла́в Васи́льевич Ма́ркин; 1948 – 1992), known as The Skopinsky Maniac, was a Soviet serial killer, robber, rapist and arsonist who committed 6 brutal murders.