Between 1992 and 2010, Mikhail Viktorovich Popkov, who is commonly referred to as the Russian Werewolf killer, sexually assaulted and killed an estimated 80+ people in the Irkutsk region of Siberia. As reported by ABC News, a vast majority of Popkov’s victims were women, whom he believed were “morally unfit” and therefore deserved to die.

Prior to his arrest and conviction, Mikhail Popkov was a police officer, who, by all accounts, was an “exemplary family man.” The husband and father appeared to lead a “normal” life and had a close relationship with his daughter. However, Popkov was clearly leading a double life.

In a number of interviews, which were conducted after his arrest, Popkov said he was simply trying to rid the city of “fallen women.”

ABC News reports Mikhail Popkov used his position as a police officer to gain his victims’ trust. While in uniform, the killer would approach women, who were walking alone at night, and offer them a ride. He would then offer them alcohol, drive them to a secluded location, and sexually assault them before beating or stabbing them to death.

As reported by ABC News, Popkov blamed his victims for being out at night “without being accompanied by men and without a specific goal.” He said they were willing to get in his car because they were “in search of adventure.”

Although Russian authorities formed a task force to identify and capture the Russian Werewolf, Mikhail Popkov was careful to cover his tracks.

The Russian Werewolf killer was finally caught after 18 years

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