Roman Burtsev (6+)
Accused of raping and murdering at
least six children Roman is the latest serial killer to surface in
Rostov-on-Don, the former stomping grounds of the cannibal killer Andrei
Chikatilo. Burtsev, 25, was arrested in July 1996, and confessed to the
killings, giving investigators detailed descriptions of the crime scenes.
Burtsev told police he often felt remorse and on one
occasion even donated 5,000 rubles (90 U.S. cents) for the funerals of
one of his victims, a 12-year-old girl. A divorcee with a 10-month-old
son, Roman allegedly committed the murders out of a fear of being
punished for his sex crimes.
The news of Roman's upcoming trial came just days
after another local resident, Vladimir Mukhankin, pleaded guilty to
murdering eight women and was sentenced to death by the city court.
Local officials claim the frequency of serial killing in their rustic
community only testifies to the efficiency of their police. "It's not
that other regions don't have such monsters," said Zakhar Lukinov, a
deputy regional chief prosecutor. "Simply no one hears about them."
