Viktor Karamarkov

Born in the Gjorče Petrov neighborhood, Karamarkov grew up with his mentally unstable mother,[3] as his father had died when he was young. Although described as a loner, Karamarkov was regarded as a highly intelligent boy who finished his primary education with an excellent grade, and was very respectful of the elderly.[4] He was also heavily indulged in various Russian literature, especially Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, identifying himself with the novel's main character, impoverished ex-student Rodion Raskolnikov.[3] However, Karamarkov was also a known delinquent and drug addict, who frequently engaged in various thefts.[5]

Taking inspiration from his favorite book, Karamarkov would search for vulnerable, older ladies to commit his murders. When he found a suitable victim, he would ring the doorbell and ask them for money, on the pretense that it was for his ailing mother.[3] After entering the apartment, Karamarkov would take out a small axe wrapped in a newspaper and tape and kill the unsuspecting victim. After killing the victim he would steal any gold jewelry found in the apartment in order to supply his drug habit.[1] After each killing, he would visit the "St. Peter and Paul" Church in Gjorče Petrov, and ask for forgiveness.[4]

Although initially they didn't suspect there was a serial killer on the prowl, authorities gradually connected the dots due to the crimes similarities: elderly women, killed in their apartments with a blunt object to the back of the head. It was also noticed that all the victims had gold jewelry missing. They contacted the surviving victims statements, who described their attacker as a young man, who went door to door with a health book in his hands, seeking financial help for his mother. However, they couldn't describe him in great detail, as he appeared average and very unassuming. On October 27, Karamarkov was captured and given an 8-month sentence for theft, but witnesses and relatives of the attacked women identified him as the attacker. While searching his home, authorities located the axe used in the murders.[5]

Shortly after his picture was shown on national television, many women came to identify him as the man who had stolen their jewelry. One woman, identified only as K. M., said that ten days before his arrest, he forcibly pulled off her gold chain while she walking near the Ministry of Culture. Distressed, the young woman chased after the perpetrator, but he managed to slip away. Shocked, Karamarkov's mother refused to believe that her son was a cold-blooded killer.[5]

Although he didn't confess to the killings, Karamarkov mentioned details that only the perpetrator would know. During his final statement to the court, Karamarkov claimed that he had been drugged while making his statements, and that he had been taken for three days at an unknown location. While there, a picture of Josip Broz Tito was hung on the wall, and he had not been provided a lawyer. Despite this, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, much to the dismay of his lawyer Sasho Dukovski, who claimed that there was no sufficient evidence for the verdict.[1]

• List of serial killers by country