Russia's 'chessboard killer' found guilty of 48 murders

MOSCOW: Moscow's so-called ‘chessboard killer’, Alexander Pichushkin, was found guilty on Wednesday of 48 murders and three attempted murders by all 12 jurors after a 10-week trial.   

The jury rejected a request by the defence to clear Pichushkin of 18 of the 51 charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence and voted that he should not be shown any leniency in sentencing.    Pichushkin, 33, could face a maximum sentence of life in prison as Russia currently has a moratorium on the death penalty.  

He remained calm as the verdict was read, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Arrested on June 16 last year, Pichushkin earlier told the court he intended to kill as many people as there are squares on the chessboard, prompting the media nickname.    

Jurors were instructed to deliberate on Pichushkin's guilt in 48 murders and three attempted murders.   

Pichushkin himself claimed a total of 63: 29 people he had known and 34 unknowns, most killed in the sprawling Bitsa Park on the outskirts of Moscow.   

Investigators said that Pichushkin aimed to claim more victims than those killed by the infamous Soviet-era serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted in 1992 of murdering 52 people.