A brutal killer stalks the streets of Krakow in 1964 | Forensic Files

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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
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please say the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website today's episode contains violence
against children and animals that won't be suitable for all listeners tales of vampires have been found in nearly every
culture around the world dating back centuries in 17th and 18th century Poland belief in such legends was rife
one of the earliest recorded and most well-documented cases of vampirism involved a peasant named Peter
Blagojevich his death in 1725 was followed by a spate of other sudden deaths within eight days nine persons
had perished whilst on their death beds each victim alleged they had been visited by Peter who had throttled them
another reported story was that Peter visited his old home after his death where he brutally murdered and drank the
blood of his son a second case the same year involved Arnold parley an ex-soldier who died after falling off a
hay wagon and breaking his neck within weeks of Arnold's death four people complained of being plagued by him and
to those people died shortly thereafter it was widely suspected both Pater and Donald rose from the dead as vampires
and what's haunting the countryside following these rumors physicians and officers exhumed the bodies of both
Peter and Arnold to examine them to their surprise both men appeared to undecomposed
their hair and beard follicles had since grown old skin peeled away revealing a fresher layer underneath and dried blood
to frame to their mouths these peculiarities led physicians to conclude that the two men were indeed vampires
and their bodies were quickly burn reports were published in newspapers and distributed throughout Western Europe
which were quickly translated and spread elsewhere creating mass hysteria burial
rituals were conducted aimed to ward off evil and prevent vampires from awakening
graves have suspected vampires but dagger sickles or sites were placed over the necks of corpses ensuring
decapitation if the vampire attempted to rise feet were mutilated and the legs were cut to further hinder the rising
process in some cases heads were removed and placed between legs so the vampire couldn't reach it when they awoke
tongues were pierced with spikes and coins or crucifixes were placed in mouths to prevent biting suspected
vampires were buried on the isolated edges of cemeteries deep into the ground facedown so if they tried to dig
themselves out that would simply dig themselves further into the earth the burial mound was then covered with rocks
rumours of vampire sightings and attacks led to public executions professional vampire hunters traversed towns carrying
kits stocked with crucifixes holy water rope mallets and stakes when word of the vampire epidemic
reached Empress Maria Theresa she sent her personal physician to investigate the claims stories of the dead rising
were quickly attributed to premature burials savage and bloodthirsty attacks were likely the result of persons
suffering from rabies numerous localized the deaths were merely coincidental possibly due to the spread of disease
signs of vampirism and corpses was linked to misinterpretation and ignorance of decomposition the physician
of Empress Maria Theresa concluded that vampires were not real following this revelation the Empress passed the laws
prohibiting the opening of graves and desecration of bodies marking the end of the vampire hysteria vampires returned
to the status of horror folklore with people accepting that such monsters never have and never could exist
[Music] the 1960s were often called the golden sixties throughout Western Europe and
the USA the decade offered a time of counterculture and social revolution breaking down the conformity and order
established during the 1950's social taboos were relaxed as were formalities about clothing schooling music drugs and
sexuality by the end of the 50s the reconstruction of war-torn Europe had for the most part finished what followed
was a tremendous economic boom a major expansion of the middle class made previous luxuries such as radios
televisions refrigerators and cars affordable and commonplace but in Poland things weren't quite as progressive the
Eastern European country had been hidden behind the Soviet Union's Iron Curtain since the end of World War two and for
them the 1960s was a time of stabilization the political repression the country faced under a communist
government was starting to weaken and for the first time in a long time the population of Poland were looking
forward to the possibility of economic growth but it was a slow burn wages were low shops empty and to the state
resistance towards Western influence continued technological advances popular in the West were still a decade away
from communist Poland and anything considered foreign was likely to be censored or banned only groceries
produced within the country were sold which meant supplies were low and choices limited meat was rare and when
available people queued for hours to get it everything else was mass-produced in
factories so there was a very little individual expression drab gray clothing was standard-issue
but it wasn't all gloom even though conservative communism still ruled Poland the hippie counterculture was
finding its way in inspired by the West young adults were questioning the rules and traditions of their parents packages
sent from families and friends who had emigrated west introduced new food and clothes
rock music jeans and mini skirts were trendy and jazz clubs galleries cafes and cinemas were full of young people
inspired by avant-garde influences Cracow the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland was a hub for
emerging writers jazz musicians poets and artists they would meet in the thriving main square to exchange
creative ideas and share their craft novels from American writers were smuggled in and sparked fascinating
conversations those who spoke English and could translate Western ideas were the center of attention overall life in
Cracow was slow-paced but peaceful with a strong sense of community although artistic creativity and
liberties were growing the communist government was still keeping a watchful eye on its citizens there seemed to be
an unwritten agreement between the government and the people freedom of creativity and culture in exchange for
political apathy around midday on September 21 1964 48 year-old Helene of Elgin just finished
her housekeeping shift and was making her way to the Church of servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Gant Oscar
Street situated 800 meters west from Krakow main square the church was small but stately adorned with stained glass
windows sculptures of saints and a large painting of the Virgin Mary Helena was devoted to her religion and attended
church most days to say her prayers whilst attending that day she ran into a friend outside and stopped for a brief
chat before making her way from the chilly street into the church as she entered she passed the young man with a
red patch on his arm indicating he was a student not paying him much attention Helena walked down the aisle faced the
older and two knelt down [Music] lost in prayer alehna was startled as she was struck to the side causing her
to stumble and fall she turned to see the young man from earlier fleeing the church dumbfounded
Helena had no idea why this total stranger pushed her in the back she pulled herself off of the ground and
went outside where she was approached by a friend walking by with her child Helena's friend asked if something had
just happened as she saw a young man springing from the church Helena explained being knocked over and
said she was aching but unhurt her friend pointed out a large tear in the back of Helena's coat helena was
outraged at the damage but being a forgiving woman she let it go when Helena returned home she removed
her coat only to notice blood staining on her shirt and undergarments as she peeled off H layer the blood patches
became larger and wetter upon removing her final pace she founded the source of the blood she had an open wound in her
back just below her left shoulder blade near her heart she summoned a friend who
contacted a local doctor who confirmed : ah had been stabbed the next morning Helena notified the
Krakauer Police Department about the attack police took photographs of her injuries and denoted the description of
the alleged attacker who Helena said was a teenage boy aged between 16 and 18 years old of average height with dark
hair and a friendly looking face he was wearing brown trousers and a lightweight
coat with a red student perch on his arm police found her report bizarre and considered the likelihood the woman
accidentally injured herself and was a the making the story up or was confused about what really happened dismissing
her claim they sent her home and didn't bother notifying other officers or reporting the incident to supervisors in
communist Poland censorship laws meant Violent Crimes were mostly kept out of the newspapers so no word about the
attack on her lena was mentioned in the media two days later on September 23 1964 78 year-old francesca love and
oscar was returning home from a shopping trip in town at around 1:00 p.m. she disembarked the
tram in the Kazumi ash district of cacao salt town arms full of groceries Francisca gradually made her way to her
apartment building on the corner of scavino street and crack offs Kasturi she made it to her building at around
1:30 p.m. and to throw a gate and then began the slow climb up the internal stairwell to her apartment
a short time later three men came across Francesca's body in the stairwell lying
in a pool of blood Francesca was rushed to hospital for urgent care doctors found a deep knife
wound in her back that only slightly missed her heart although the injury wasn't enough to
kill her Francesco spent months recovering in hospital and was left with a permanent disability requiring her to
walk with the help of a cane despite her age Francesca had an excellent memory she was able to give
police a clear description of what happened in the stairwell ascending the stairs she heard footsteps following her
and turned to see a young men a few steps behind he was a clean-cut baby-faced youth there was nothing
unnerving about him so she didn't give him a second thought she turned and continued when suddenly she felt a sharp
pain in her back Francesca collapsed to the ground in agony as the attacker quickly fled the
scene she described her male attacker as aged between 16 and 18 years old of average height with dark hair and a
friendly looking face wearing a light summer jacket she also said he had a red patch on his shoulder that would
indicate a school uniform it was this description that sparked the interest of police as a matched helena belgians
description of her alleged attacker from a few days before the police quickly realized they'd made a mistake in
dismissing Helena's report and considered the possibility they had a serial attacker on their hands one who
was deliberately going off a defenseless and vulnerable women as they went about
their day but other than the relatively vague descriptions provided by her loner
and Francesca they had no leads neither woman had been robbed or sexually assaulted so the perpetrators motive
remained unclear six days later on September 29 86 year old Maria Politis stood in front of the
bulletin board of her local church the st. John's Baptist Church in the center of Krakow is old town just 140 meters
from the main square a short time later a passing nun found Maria in a pool of blood
desperately gasping the words young man young man before she lost the consciousness maria was transferred to a
nearby hospital where it was discovered she had been stabbed from behind directly through her lung just barely
missing her heart she underwent emergency surgery however Maria never regained consciousness
passing away in hospital the following day on September 30 on the night of Maria's attack an unknown man entered
the emergency department of the hospital he asked the receptionist for information about the old lady who was
attacked in the church news of the attack had not hit the press so the receptionist was confused to say how the
men knew about the incident he refused to identify himself and promptly left the hospital
the receptionist later described the man to police as being aged between 25 and 30 years old of average height with dark
hair and pale skin he was wearing dark trousers a brown jacket and had a rough sweaty appearance which the receptionist
described as looking mentally unstable police were baffled by Maria's murder just like the attacks before her there
was no sign of robbery or sexual assault and no apparent motive it wasn't a stretch to link her death with the
attacks on her Lenna and francesco older women who were alone in the middle of the day and stabbed once in the back
with a knife no longer dating a serial attacker was on the loose on October 2 a special police task force named Gert
bucyk was created Helena Belgian was reading a view and this time her story was taken more seriously witnesses who
saw the man fleeing the church on the day of Helena's attack were tracked down as well
but the only description they offered was that the suspect was a young male investigators felt the survivors
descriptions of the perpetrator were more likely unreliable as they were elderly and traumatised they instead
chose to focus on the description of the strange man provided by the emergency room receptionist
shortly after Maria's attack they believed this unknown man was Maria's attacker and he visited the hospital
wanting to find out if his victim had died violent crimes were rarely reported in newspapers under communist Poland's
tight censorship laws but with the attacker having escalated to murder investigators felt it necessary to
finally inform the press of the crimes to raise awareness and compel witnesses to come forward
assuming the receptionist description was more reliable the attacker was described in newspapers as being
approximately 40 years old of average build with dark blonde hair a long and weary face hairy eyebrows a wide right
eye that could possibly be a prosthetic sharp cheekbones with sagging skin and the uncontrollable muscle movement on
the right side of his face despite the media release citizens were hesitant to come forward they typically avoided the
police whom name is trusted which made the investigation increasingly difficult the city quickly became shrouded in fear
and paranoia women were too afraid to walk the streets alone or attend a church desperate to protect themselves
they began creating makeshift dharma some carried pillows metal plates and shields against their bodies as they
went about their daily errands there was a report of one woman who got so spooked
she slipped over and broke her hip doctors found a cast-iron pot lid strapped to her back investigators
visited shelters psychiatric hospitals and churches hoping to find some information to point them in the right
direction the task force sought assistance from expert psychologists and psychiatrists
for any professional insight they could provide but nothing useful came to surface some specialists concluded the
attacks could be sexually motivated but there was no evidence to support this theory over 550 people were interviewed
and looked into but it led nowhere for Krakauer police their reputation was at stake
the brazen attacks occurred in the middle of the day in the middle of the city right under their noses so the
pressure was on to make an arrest yet after three months the investigation reached a dead end
reluctantly the task force was shut down no more attacks had taken place and the
investigation proved fruitless a police spokesman from the Cracow criminal department stated quote there was no
motive and we were looking for a needle in a haystack police had no choice but to archive the case they concluded the
attacks were likely committed by a mentally unstable individual who had since being placed in a hospital or
arrested for a different crime in the year and a half after the attacks bluffing Krakow returned to normal the
case of the unknown knife-wielding attacker slipped to the back of everyone's minds February 13 1966 was a
snowy winters day with perfect conditions for sledding on Kosciuszko mound an artificial Mountain situated
3.8 kilometers west of Krakow is old town in warmer months the peak of the mountain offered clear panoramic views
of Krakauer city and the Vistula River but during winter Kosciuszko mountain was covered in snow and shrouded in mist
residents flocked there on weekends to practice their skiing and sledding on this particular day a sledding contest
was being held and the peak was a hive of activity as locals gathered to watch and participate in the event
eleven-year-old Leszek shalwick was looking forward to the contest Leszek aloft the snow and had been
practicing for weeks in preparation for the competition on the morning of February 13 less shakka bundled up in
his warmest winter clothing grabbed his sled said goodbye to his parents and headed off to cost juice comb and to
enroll himself in the sweating contest organizers inspected a leash ax sled prior to enrollment they determined it
didn't meet regulations for the competition and denied him participation disappointed Leszek accepted the
decision and walked away from the registration area dragging his sled behind him on a piece of rope Leszek
disappeared into the surrounding mist fifteen minutes later a young scout trudged through the heavy fog when he
came across something bundled on the ground flesh X body you lay in the snow his glasses crooked on his face his
small hand is still clutching the Rope of his sled add a pool of blood had gathered under his jacket the boy was
dead police quickly arrived on the scene Kosciuszko mound and the surrounding Volsky forest were quickly sealed off as
over 100 officers searched the area for leash X attacker but they failed to track anyone a shoe print found in the
snow nearly Shaq's body immediately caught their attention but it was later determined to belong to a local guard
who was quickly eliminated as a suspect an autopsy of less X body revealed he was stabbed 11 times the knife used
pierced nearly every one of his major organs a forensic pathologist ruled the child was a victim of overkill a term
used to describe excessive violent force his stab wounds suggested this act of murder was motivated by brutality rather
than desire to kill or injure there was no indication of sexual assault or robbery the shacks pockets
still contained to the notebook lottery ticket and school identification card he
left home with the morning of his death days after lash xox murder police told the press they had several leads and
were investigating a number of potential suspects one was a boy named Benedict unknown troublemaker who previously
lived in lush ex apartment building he was known to torment the young boy leche ex parents regarded benedict as unstable
and said he often returned to harass their son even after he moved away although they felt Benedict had it in
for that boy and was capable of such a menacing act he was eliminated as a suspect in their son's murder after
providing a solid alibi investigators then looked into a second to lead a woman reported witnessing a man walking
around Kosciuszko mound on the day of lash axe murder she stated he was in the company of a young boy pulling a sled
through the snow she described the man as 30 years old average height and build with dark hair and a large eyes she
recognized the man straightaway as he had been harassing her for a few days before and she hadn't been able to
forget his face since police looked into this woman's claims but upon further investigation they
discovered she had a long history of violence and mental illness her claims weren't unsubstantiated instead of
finding any leads into leche ex murder investigators found something troubling in this female witnesses life and she
was placed under arrest for the murder of her own infant child just a week prior the next lead came from one of Lee
Shaq's schoolmates Andrew he told police he was with Leszek on the day of the sledding contest injury revealed he and
Lygia were approached by men aged in his 40s at around 10:30 a.m. the men took less checked by the hand and led him
away which was the last dangerous tour of him Andrew was able to provide a clear description of the men and of the
location of the incident however Andrews mother confirmed her son hadn't left the
house the morning of the murder until 11 a.m. 30 minutes after Andrew claimed to
her bein with Leszek Andrew eventually burst into tears and admitted to making the whole thing up
more tips came in but they were either deceptive or didn't lead anywhere in a rare move that went against censorship
laws photos of Lesha were printed by the press with the call out for anyone with
any information to contact police a task force was formed to investigate everyone
near cost shoosh go man and on the day of lash Axe death over 100 people were look into but no suspects were
identified Thursday April 14 1966 was two months after lash xox murder information relating to the full
identity of the following victim has been publicly withheld what is known his seven-year-old male kasha was in her
family's apartment on sabe s key Street just 220 meters from Krakow Police Headquarters recovering from angina her
mother was forcing her to stay home and arrest even though she was feeling much better at around 1:30 p.m.
now Gaza looked out a window and saw the postman approaching their building bored
and restless she was thankful for something to do the young girl threw on her coat yelled out to her mother that
she was going downstairs to collect the mail and rushed out the front door minutes later the front door swung in
words and Malgosia stood in the frame Swain her mother screamed in fright when she saw her daughter completely
blood-soaked the little girl said weakly a man beat me up before collapsing to the floor now Gosha was rushed to
hospital in a critical condition she had been stabbed five times in the back twice in the abdomen and once in the
left hand the most serious of her wounds was a 10 centimeter gash to her abdomen
despite her injuries now gasha survived when questioned by police now gosh sure explained if she had gone down to the
hallway on the ground floor where the mailbox was located she noticed the young man sitting at the bottom of the
steps as she reached up to open the mailbox the man grabbed her from behind covered her mouth with his left hand and
stabbed her complicating the investigation was Malgosia herself who changed her story
several times and gave police conflicting descriptions of her attacker four days after the attack
now Gauss's mother answered a knock at their front door a young men they didn't know aged around 18 asked whether theirs
was the home belonging to the young girl who was assaulted he wanted to know her
name now Josh's mother was visibly shaken and stood staring at him in stunned silence
the young man told her not to worry that he would just look it up in the papers and promptly left now Gauss's mother
alerted her husband of the stranger who quickly ran down the stairs to find him but the young man was nowhere to be seen
given the similarities now goss's case was quickly linked to the recent murder of Lee Scheck sourc police was certain
they were carried out by the same perpetrator again in an unprecedented move in communist Poland they sought
help from the public through newspapers after the press release a taxi driver came forward with crucial information
passing mail Josh's apartment building around at the time of the attack the taxi driver caught a glimpse of a young
man fleeing the scene the driver described the man as aged between 16 and 18 with dark hair and wearing a light
jacket most intriguing was the claim the suspect wore a student patch on his arm
this description matched those given by survivors of the spree attacker who had struck a year and a half earlier
police quickly realized their error in publishing incorrect details of the suspect in those previous attacks they
had gone with a hospital receptionist description as they considered it more reliable than the description from the
survivors themselves now that they believed those previous attacks were committed by the same offender as the
most recent attacks they quickly released a second description this time detailing the attacker as a male aged
between 16 and 18 years old who could possibly be a high school student in the local area experts established a profile
of the killer to wait police with their investigation the profile stated the killer acted alone purposefully chose
vulnerable victims and attacked quickly from behind no attempt had been made to hide the victims the killer might have a
job involving the use of knives and appeared to know the Krakow area very well the knife used was likely 10
centimeters long and once and made a wired possibly a standard fisherman's north one thing that couldn't be exactly
determined by psychologists was the killer's motive there was nothing to indicate why he was
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your free trial of CBS all access cbs.com slash case file [Music] eight days after the attack on
seven-year-old Malgosia police received a tip-off about a student at a local Technical Institute in Krakow he was
known to carry knives and act aggressively towards peers police visited the teenager 19 year old Carol
caught they found Carol to be a polite young man from a good reputable family the coach of Carole's shooting Club
vouched for his character saying he was one of the club's star shooters and a shining example to other students the
coach confirmed that the teenager did carry knives around but his fascination was nothing more than an innocent hobby
police searched the cott family home and found five knives but none of them fit the description of the murder weapon
investigators were not convinced Carol cot was the perpetrator they were looking for and thus he was eliminated
as a suspect during the same winter of 1966 Carol cut took a day trip to ten yets a historic village 12 kilometers
southwest of Krakow accompanying him was his 22 year old friend denude on Carroll
met denude already shooting club a few years prior unto the two had become close most other students made fun of
Carol for being strange but denude are always came to his defense she believed he harbored a sensitive soul the two
would often go for walks together after shooting practice over time Carol made it clear he was interested in more than
just friendship from tenuto as she turned down his advances he propositioned her for sex multiple
times but de nous de stated her feelings for Carol were purely platonic Carol told her that if she didn't want to have
sex with him he could knock her unconscious so she would never have to know about it
Carol was always making morbid jokes and although denuded didn't really understand his sense of humor she
figured he was just trying to impress her in his own weird way during the visit to tenets the pair were strolling
through the forest on the banks of the Vistula River when Carol suddenly launched on the neuter after shoving her
to the ground he held a knife to her throat and told her he was going to kill her
Danita could only comprehend the situation as a twisted joke and started laughing she played along saying it was
a horrible idea considering people knew they were visiting ten years together and thus would know he was responsible
Carol took out a sharp piece of glass stashed in his pocket and told de neuter he would cut her wrists before throwing
her body into the river so her death would look like a suicide tanita didn't actually believe carol was
going to hurt her but at that moment she suspected he had deep psychological problems she suggested that he go to a
psychologist than seek professional help the Kuril refused a short time afterwards de neuter asked Carol to
return to tenets with her she claimed she wanted to do some artful sketches of the scenery in reality she hoped to take
Carol to speak to a priest about his problems but when they arrived the noodle was unable to find the priest the
pair went for a walk instead during which Carol bragged to the neuter about stabbing a young girl in her apartment
building he said he was disappointed to find out she survived Carol often told shocking fictitious
stories the nuber interpreted as a cry for attention but as his behavior lately was becoming increasingly unpredictable
and violent the nudists instincts told her something wasn't right the following day she checked newspapers and read
about seven-year-old Malgosia the little girl from Cracow who had recently been stopped in a frenzied attack at her
apartment building and survived Tenuta visited a psychiatrist and spoke of her concerns about her friend Carol caught
her psychiatrist encouraged her to go to the police nervous denuded was unsure whether it was the right thing to do as
she wasn't certain carol was capable of really hurting others nevertheless she did visit the police
they weren't convinced as they had already investigated Carroll as a suspect and found no evidence to suggest
he was the perpetrator but the nudist statements were compelling so they decided to give the young man another
look Carroll's final college exams were coming up so investigators decided to wait until after his exams before
confronting the teenager while keeping a close eye on him in the meantime their reasoning was if carol was
innocent police wouldn't have ruined his chances of completing his tertiary education but if he was the killer
sitting the exams would prove he was of sound mind should he decide to plead insanity in any future criminal trials
on June 1 1966 the morning after Carroll completed his exams police arrived to the cott residence on May Celso Street
in Krakow Carroll's father was an engineer and had already left for work Carroll was inside celebrating the end
of his exams with his mother and younger sister attending police officers were surprised when they met Carol from what
they heard of the young man they were expecting some kind of monster instead they found him to be a polite 19 year
old with a friendly face neatly combed hair and clean-cut look who was dressed in a tailored coat the cuts were a
well-respected family and well-liked within the local community Carroll cot was the oldest of two children born in
Krakow on December 18 1946 his youngest sister was 8 years his junior he'd caught parents both worked hard and
didn't have a lot of spare time although they always made time for family holidays and kept a loving home Carol
had a typical childhood he did well in primary school and enjoyed various sports especially karate
during high school carol was a model student he didn't smoke swear or disobey orders and never skipped class he would
often help other students who needed assistance with their work and had a good sense of humor so teachers were
surprised when he complained about being bullied they thought it must have been because Carol told on his fellow
students when they were breaking rules or causing mischief the truth was other kids found Carol to be weird
police searched the cot family home where they found Carol had possession of 16 knives a rifle a jar of sodium
arsenate a crossbow ropes cables books about human anatomy and a notepad scrawled with drawings of knives based
on the evidence found in his home and the information provided by his friend de neuter Carol cot was arrested for he
suspected involvement in the murders of 86 yard Maria pilita and 11 year-old Leszek
ciwec as well as the attempted murders of Helena Belgian francesc galavan dovger and a seven-year-old
Malgosia Carroll strongly denied the allegations he was placed in a temporary hold where police were able to keep him
for 14 days before formal charges had to be laid Carol looked more like a boy than a man courteous and well-spoken he
was intelligent and seemingly gentle natured yet as investigators studied Carol cot they realized his charming
demeanor hid many secrets from a young age Carol caught found a deep pleasure in
the Makar during his childhood the cot family would often take holidays to purge him
a small rural village in southern Poland although full of charm her gym didn't offer much excitement for a young boy
and Carol found the trips boring he would go for long walks to entertain himself
one day he stopped at a local butcher and was delighted to be able to help out with slaughtering the animals he enjoyed
the atmosphere in the butcher shop and got a thrill out of watching the slaughters take place his visits to the
butcher became a regular occurrence at one point Carol sipped the warm blood of the animals after they were killed the
workers got a real kick out of this laughing a young Carol as he drank the blood encouraging him to drink more
Carol said he found something deeply satisfying about drinking the blood from an animal that was alive just seconds
ago he described the feeling as glorious the Tom Carol spent at the butcher shop
sparked his deep fascination with slaughter and he began killing small animals for fun he would kill birds
chickens frogs and bowls he'd poke out their eyes play with their intestines and drink their blood this all happened
in secret as he went out of his way to make sure no one found out when his mother was preparing dinner
Carol pretended to be disgusted by the sight of fish guts and raw meat in order to protect his secret when Carol's
sister was younger he was very protective of her but as she grew up his brotherly affections faded Carol was
convinced his parents loved her more than they loved him he took his insecurities out on his sister bullying
her and tormenting her when their parents weren't around which was often when she didn't obey his orders he took
great pleasure in punishing her Carol would beat her using his hands a belt or a coat hanger if she cried he would lock
her in her room for hours telling her it was the price she had to pay for her disobedience
his sister also had two pet cats Carol would beat them and throw them against walls when no one was looking
as Carol grew older his violent sadistic tendencies increased he became fascinated with human anatomy and would
read medical books to get a better understanding of how different organs worked he built up a large collection of
weapons including knives rifles and poison hours were spent drawing sketches of guillotines and other weapons he
tested his rifles out by shooting at pieces of meat curious to see how much damage each bullet could cause the flesh
he loved knives and had never left the house without one honing his accuracy and speed skills by throwing knifes at
playing cards and other objects Carol often boasted he could Pierce a knife through a three centimeter deep wooden
plank with just one throw Carole's dream was to one day serve as a commander in the army he was fascinated by the
coldness bravery and discipline shown by soldiers but he was also fueled by a darker desire for Destruction during a
school trip Carol and his classmates visited Auschwitz concentration camp Museum Carol became fascinated with the
idea of human extermination telling classmates he could come up with better ideas for torture than the Nazis ever
did his biggest dream of all was to become an executioner or concentration camp chief where he could have free
reign to murder at will he fantasized about separating young females and males from the remaining prison population to
participate in his own graphic orgies then killed them afterwards throughout high school other students mostly
accepted him but he didn't have any close friends of his own this was no surprise given that Carol loved to tell
gruesome stories of a violent and sexual nature with a grin on his face the whole
time although others found his stories shocking they mostly passed them off as nonsense other students saw Carroll's
behavior as a kind of disorder rather than something that takes seriously and they often encouraged him to continue
with these stories so they could laugh at and tease him although they treated him like a joke they feared his temper
and was scared of his aggressive and unpredictable behavior Carroll was known to pick on smaller kids practice
throwing knives from his school desk and would run down the school corridors pretending to shoot and stab classmates
one time when an older student punched Carol he took out a knife and cut the student
in the arm as the end of high school was drawing near Carol applied to military school in the hopes of joining the
Polish armed forces but spaces were limited and his application was rejected good at taking orders Carol instead
joined the police reserves the Socialists Youth Club in the Defense League where he was often praised for
showing excellent discipline although he did relatively well at technical subjects languages were not his strong
point and Carol failed polish in the last year of high school failure did not sit well with him and having to retake
the exams sent him into a bout of depression nevertheless he was able to finish high school and went on to become
a tertiary student at a technical institution in Krakow during his time at the technical
institution Carol's strange behavior and the love for gruesome storytelling continued female students found him
incredibly off-putting and to most was scared of him one time a female student was walking down the
hallway when carol was suddenly approached and professed his love for her from that day on whenever he'd pass
her he'd ask her what she was wearing underneath her dress grandpa are inappropriately or try to hug her no
girl would agree to go out with Carol desperate he offered to pay girls to go on dates with him but none accepted
instead he spent his days fantasizing about orgies mentally planning the depraved sexual acts he would perform
with female schoolmates he led to male classmates know of one of his fantasies to kidnap a young girl cut her head off
and then send it to her mother in a box the other boys just laughed at Carol assuming this was another of the
gruesome tales he told to get a rise out of them Carol cot was formally interviewed by police on June 3 he came
across as confident and cocky and continued to deny the allegations he admitted he enjoyed using knives and
that he had killed small animals in the past but denied involvement in anything more sinister police grilled him for
days expecting him to crack under the pressure at any minute but Carol's story didn't change word of the arrest quickly
spread and the public received the news with mixed emotions they were ecstatic the monster who had been terrorizing
their city was finally behind bars but many found it hard to believe the killer could be a 19 year old student from a
good respectable family it seemed incomprehensible that someone like him could be capable of such horrific acts
and that none of his teachers schoolmates or relatives reported his violent and deviant behavior Carol's
parents defended their son saying he had always been a good a child and brother and there was no way he played any part
in the horrible attacks on July 6 a month after his arrest Carroll appeared in a police lineup
witnesses were brought in one-by-one Franchesca 11 dogs go the second survivor took her time
observing the lineup she put on her glasses and closely inspected each men before finally looking Carol right in
the eye and exclaiming that's him that's the Beast who attacked me Francesca wasn't the only witness to
single out Carol but it was her statement that shocked the team Carol jumped up looked French she should go
right in the eye and shouted you have a good memory please come closer so I can finish what I started
it was the confession the city had been waiting for after being identified in the lineup Carol caught no longer denied
his involvement in the crimes instead he started boasting about them in chilling
detail he willingly and honestly explained his crime spree and the pleasure he derived from each attack he
spoke candidly about the dark thoughts that plagued him his entire life including violent sexual fantasies of
raping women skinning them alive and setting them on fire he admitted his childhood desire for slaughter grew into
full-blown obsession Carol caught quote I was interested in what serves in the war to destroy men and his well-being
and thus poisons knives firearms and the methods of their most effective use I had a large collection of knives my
mother never refused to buy me a new knife I knew that they were happy that their little boy he had a passion my
first dream was to become a commando I liked their courage cold blood and discipline and hard life then I dreamed
about a military career I wanted to finish my officers school and become a high commander I even applied to such a
school from my dreams I managed to fulfill one thing I wanted I was an executioner of people so I thought about
a greater slaughter about a real big crematorium if there wasn't war I would like to be the head of a concentration
camp I dreamed of mass murders in gas chambers roundups and quartering people I wanted to murder all women except
maybe two my sister into my cousin unfortunately I didn't make it Carroll confessed that all came to the
boil on the morning of September 21 1964 from the moment he woke up all he could
think about was stabbing someone he started thinking about the best place he could find a victim and decided a church
was ideal he was certain he'd find an old lady deep in prayer who wouldn't say the attack coming he grabbed two of his
knives and have left the house kiryl entered the church of servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus before the
altar he dropped to his knees and made the sign of the Cross pretending to pray no one else arrived
in the church remained empty eventually Carol rose to his feet and went to leave
at that moment Helena belgin entered the church to say her prayers Carol explained prior to the
attacks he felt stressed anxious and had trouble sleeping but after the attacks he felt the same sense of calm and
happiness he felt after receiving a Christmas gift his plan was to go after old women or young children who couldn't
fight back target loaned victims in deserted places attack quickly flee the scene
immediately and keep a relaxed demeanor afterwards so no one would suspect a thing after the murder of 11 year old
Ali shacks Eric Carroll maintained his plan but going to a friend's house to look at photo albums before buying
himself a cake and heading home the attack on seven year-old Mel kosher was described by Carroll quote I saw a
little girl in a cloak going upstairs immediately I thought I would kill this girl at that moment I turned to her
quickly pulled the knife out of my sheath and started stabbing her and near the belly and heart after this attack
Carol went to the local shooting range to renew his gun license and then went home for dinner he showed a no shame or
remorse and said his only regret was that victims had survived and he didn't get to kill more people
after H attack Carroll admitted wiping blood off the blade with his finger to avoid cutting his tongue he then licked
his finger clean Carroll caught quote drinking blood from something that was alive just seconds ago is something
glorious he will never understand it only chosen ones can I was chosen to experience and satisfy my body with the
life of others his taste for blood earned him the title the vampire of Cracow once Carole confessed to his
crimes one question remained what happened during the 17 month break between attacks the vampire wasn't
sleeping nor had he been arrested for some other crime as police speculated Carroll confessed during the break he
planned to the murder of four other young women who he knew from school he asked the two of them on dates where he
planned to kill them but neither would agree to go out with him the third girl he planned to rape and kill at her own
home but when he got there he found that the housekeeper was also home so instead
of murdering the girl he helped her bake a cake he planned to slash the throat of
the fourth victim using a razor blade but he didn't have enough money to buy the razor Carole then made several
attempts to poison unsuspecting victims he wanted to use arsenic or phosphorus but all he could get his hands on was
100 grams of sodium arsenate a highly toxic salt he added spoonfuls of it two bottles of beer leaving them scattered
around the neighborhood hoping someone would spot one and be tempted to drink no one fell for his poisoned beer Trappe
next Carol visited a restaurant for dinner and added a spoonful of sodium arsenate to a glass of lemonade he left
sitting on the table but the poison had a detectable lauder so nobody drank it learning from this experience Carol went
into a bar and poured the powder into a vinegar bottle he believed would mask the sour smell of the poison he
constantly checked the newspapers and asked around to find out if anyone died from the poison to vinegar but it didn't
appear so in another attempt Carol poured sodium arsenate into his classmates thermos the boy drank a
little but the solution was weak when the smell of the poison hit his nostrils the boys thought his tea had gone bad
and he ported straight down the drain Carol's victim walked away from the experience with only a stomachache
failing his attempts at poisoning Carol experimented with arson he went out on the streets with a bottle of liquid
solvent found a pile of old papers doused them and set them on fire he ran down the street returning a few minutes
later to check on the progress but it hadn't caught on a week later he set fire to a wooden toilet in his shooters
club but a caretaker promptly put it out his last arson attempt came when he walked past an open basement and saw a
pall of cloth and papers he poured petrol over the pole and set it alight but once again the fire was extinguished
without causing any major damage after these failed poisoning and arson attempts Carroll felt the urge to stab
again On February 13 1966 he went to Costco mound and confronted 11 year old Leszek Sal whack he said he approached
the lion boy and asked him about the sledding contest sensing no danger Leszek indicated to Carol where it was
occurring Leszek then turned away and that's when Carol grabbed him Carol pushed the wessex face into his
body - muffled screams and - then stabbed the boy repeatedly when describing the attack Carol said quote
on baffled as to why people complained that the 13th is a bad luck day for me it turned out that 13th was a wonderful
day Carol's confessions amassed over 8,000 pages across 18 volumes along with videos and tape recordings where he
shared his life story his bone-chilling philosophies and the twisted reasons for committing his
crimes he agreed to participate in video reenactments of his knife attacks and poisoning attempts during which he had a
proud smile on his face as he directed the film crew police and actors playing out each of his crimes
dozens of horrified onlookers watched as Carol acted out his attacks tightly grabbing the actors who played his
victims and gleefully plunging a cardboard knife into their packs when asked if he believed murder was immoral
Carol answered that he knew it was against the law but he felt no moral objections towards it he believed he was
a decent man and killing was his own personal calling when asked his thoughts on pain Carol said quote
suffering is beautiful and inflicting pain on others is an art but not everyone can do it Carol denied getting
any sexual arousal from the attacks but only because he had never had sex before
so he didn't know what sexual arousal felt like psychiatrists diagnosed Carol with a personality disorder exhibiting
aggressive behavior and a severe lack of emotional development they recommended he be treated in isolation at crackas
Medical Academy rather than put to trial they said he understood ethics and morals but didn't view his behavior is
evil rather as his fundamental right to seek pleasure and happiness which gave him the false belief it was his moral
right to kill he saw himself as better than others which resulted in a deep hatred towards other people the full
extent of carol's way of thinking was displayed when he said quote I don't drink vodka or have sex with prostitutes
therefore I'm not an evil person you can be a good person and be a murderer just like me
after this initial diagnosis and time spent in isolation Carol cot was moved to the psychiatric ward of a hospital
for further observation during his three months in the hospital doctors observed
Carol to be calm happy and easily capable of upholding decent relationships with other patients
he enjoyed telling them about his sadistic crimes he maintained a fear of punishment but also made it clear he had
every intention to reaffirm if released a EEG scans were taken the check if carol had any abnormal brain activity
but the scans came back normal during this observation period carol was asked to finish these sentences with the
words that first came to his mind this was the result the future seems to me misty I am waiting for life when I am
older I will die I love my mother but I do not like her I would like my father to die I would do
anything to forget that I exist the worst thing that I managed to do to be born with the results of these tests
along with no family history of mental illness psychiatrists determined Carol cut to be
of sound mind and fit to stand trial Carol cuts trial began on May 3 1967 her crackhouse district court so many people
wanted to witness the trial court passes were sold on the street for absurd amounts of money when Carol caught
entered the courtroom the audience was shocked by how normal he appeared Carol's charges were read
our team two counts of murder ten counts of attempted murder fall by knife attack
and six by poisoning and four cases of arson he pled guilty to all charges a smile on his face the whole time during
the trial Carol's behavior was notably bizarre he would turn around and make faces at his
schoolmates who were in the courtroom waving at them happily when he was on the stand he boasted about his attacks
his demeanor was so unbearably nonchalant the judge called him out on it reminding him of the atrocities he was
describing Carol's response was quote okay it's just that I have a cheerful attitude
I've been eating and sleeping well and have even put on weight in person sixty-four witnesses were called to the
stand and over 8,000 pages of evidence were presented as the court tried to determine the appropriate sentence
the prosecution rallied for the death penalty while the defense sought psychiatric care in an institution
arguing diminished responsibility based on insanity the lawyer for the prosecution said quote let your
judgement remove the shadow of a bloody vampire once and for all and to restore a sense of security in the old alleys of
our city let this moment be a warning for all these cowardly heroes who on their own selfish motives have
challenged themselves by targeting the highest social good of human life targeting the lives of the elderly
targeting the lives of children [Music] the sentence was handed down on July 14 1967 when asked for his final statement
Carroll caught had nothing to say the court rejected the defense of diminished responsibility based on insanity judge
Ola schinsky quote the acts committed by the accused to show that he is more dangerous than
the savage beast because he was endowed with reason his second life was written with martyrdom suffering and blood of
innocent victims a biography revealing cruelty and growing emotional coldness a biography
whose content was killing destroying setting fire and poisoning Carroll caught was sentenced to death by hanging
the sentencing was based purely on the murder of eleven-year-old Lee shacks our work with the judge determining one
horrific murder was enough to warrant the death sentence the judges reasoning for the verdict lasted exactly 65
minutes and throughout the entire period Carroll caught sat calmly on the bench not a single muscle on his face moved
when the judge read out his death sentence Carroll nervously swallowed but remained become months later Carroll's
defense team appealed the verdict citing a section of the Criminal Code to strengthen their argument fed diminished
responsibility the appeal was granted and on November 22 1967 the highest court overturned his death sentence his
sentence was changed to life imprisonment with ongoing psychiatric treatment the prosecution went to extraordinary
lengths to exercise the right to another appeal fighting to reinstate the death sentence near four months later on March
11 1968 seven judges attended the appeal where Carroll was judged for both murders the ten attempted murders and
two the four counts of arson rather than just the murder of Lesh excel wack this appeal was successful and Carroll's
death sentence was reinstated in his final interview Carol cot said quote soon we're on going on meet with my
victims and we can speak here on earth I have no one to talk to on May 16 1968 Carroll Court was put to death by
hanging at 21 years of age before his death Carroll said quote the biggest pleasure was when the knife was entering
the body this feeling is worth the hanging when carol was first under psychological
care scans showed no abnormal brain activity however his autopsy revealed a massive tumor on the right side of his
brain the prefrontal cortex of his brain also displayed abnormal physical characteristics this suggested his
attacks could very well have been a result of mental illness two examiner's and explained his unusual motivation and
random selection of victims which are buried two other well-documented serial killers they suggest that his behavior
may have been the result of an unhealthy brain as opposed to an unhealthy mind modern medical experts in Poland are
sure if Carroll caught went to trial today he would be judged as a mentally ill person with a psychopathic
personality disorder not as a regular criminal in that case specialists wonder whether the death penalty for Carroll
caught was appropriate or whether the teenager should have in fact been sent for treatment to a psychiatric
institution when asked about the philosophy by which he lived his life Carol kite said quote keep it short kill
others drink blood destroy lives [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Case 95: The Vampire of Krakow

Tales of vampires have been found in nearly every culture around the world, dating back centuries. In 17th and 18th century Poland, belief in such legends was rife...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Paulina Szymanska and Mike Migas Writing – Elsha McGill Additional writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas

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RESOURCES

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Brief Summary

The episode details Carol Cot's brutal murders in Krakow and his chilling confession, exploring his psychological background and the investigation's challenges.

Key points

One Dollar: A Thrilling Mystery. Set in a small Rust Belt town, this series follows a dollar bill connecting a group involved in a horrifying murder.
Vampire Hysteria in Poland. Explore the historical panic surrounding vampirism in 17th and 18th century Poland.
The Krakow Stabbing Attacks. A series of mysterious stabbings of elderly women in Krakow raises fears of a serial attacker.
Murder Investigation Intensifies. Police investigate multiple leads in the murder of Leszek, including a witness's claims.
Malgosia's Attack. Seven-year-old Malgosia survives a brutal stabbing, raising concerns about her attacker.
Carol's Disturbing Behavior. Investigators discover Carol's troubling past and his possession of weapons.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Vampires were not real!

Conclusion by Empress Maria Theresa's physician.

5:20WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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