Mikhail Popkov (The Werewolf)

Mikhail Viktorovich Popkov was born on March 7, 1964, in Norilsk, Soviet Union. He later moved to the Irkutsk region and became a police officer in Angarsk. His position gave him authority, access to a police vehicle and familiarity with law-enforcement procedures, all of which later helped him approach and abduct victims without immediately arousing suspicion.

Popkov was married and had a daughter. He maintained the outward appearance of a conventional family and professional life while committing murders across the Angarsk area. His career as a police officer continued while a growing number of women disappeared from the region, eventually creating a pattern that investigators would connect decades later.

Popkov's confirmed killing period began in 1992 and continued for nearly two decades. Most of his victims were women between their teenage years and early adulthood, although his known victims ultimately included women of different ages and one male police officer. He frequently encountered women in the evening or at night and offered them transportation in his vehicle.

After gaining their trust, Popkov would drive victims to isolated locations. There, he sexually assaulted and murdered them, often using knives, axes, screwdrivers, ropes or other improvised weapons. Many victims were found in remote areas around Angarsk and neighbouring districts.

His first major group of convictions involved 22 murders and two attempted murders. After that conviction, Popkov confessed to dozens of additional killings. In December 2018, he was convicted of another 56 murders, bringing the number of confirmed murders at that stage to 78.

Further investigations continued after his imprisonment. He was convicted of additional murders in 2021, 2023 and 2025, while a December 2025 conviction for two more murders committed in 2008 was upheld on appeal in March 2026. Authorities now state that 91 murders and three attempted murders have been established against him.

Popkov primarily targeted women whom he encountered in public places, particularly at night. His former position as a police officer gave him a vehicle and the appearance of legitimate authority, allowing him to offer victims rides without necessarily causing immediate alarm.

He transported victims away from populated areas before attacking them. His crimes involved sexual violence and multiple methods of killing, including strangulation and attacks with axes, knives and other weapons. He frequently abandoned bodies in isolated locations, sometimes attempting to conceal or destroy evidence.

Popkov later described himself as someone who wanted to punish women whom he considered immoral. Investigators and psychiatric experts concluded that his offending was driven by a pathological compulsion to kill. Despite the extreme nature of his crimes, he was found legally sane and responsible for his actions.

For years, investigators struggled to identify the perpetrator because the murders occurred across a large geographical area and the victims often disappeared after accepting rides. A significant breakthrough came from forensic DNA analysis.

In 2012, investigators conducted extensive DNA testing among current and former police officers in the Irkutsk region. Popkov's DNA was ultimately linked to biological evidence recovered from victims, identifying him as the previously unknown killer.

Popkov was arrested on June 23, 2012. During questioning, he initially admitted involvement in several murders and subsequently provided information about additional killings. His confessions allowed investigators to reopen numerous unsolved homicide cases throughout the region.

Popkov's first major trial concluded in January 2015, when the Irkutsk Regional Court convicted him of 22 murders and two attempted murders. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in a high-security prison.

While serving his sentence, Popkov confessed to numerous additional killings. In December 2018, he was convicted of 56 more murders and received a second life sentence. Subsequent investigations produced further convictions for additional murders, including two women killed in 1995, three women killed between 1997 and 2003 and a woman murdered in 2011.

In August 2025, Popkov received another sentence for murdering a 36-year-old woman in an Angarsk park in 2011. In December 2025, he was convicted of killing two 27-year-old women in August 2008 and received another 10-year sentence. His appeal was rejected by the Irkutsk Regional Court on March 4, 2026. Taking all convictions together, his final punishment remains life imprisonment in a special-regime colony.

Popkov's ability to continue killing while employed as a police officer became one of the most disturbing aspects of the case. His access to a police vehicle allowed him to approach women under the appearance of legitimate authority, while his knowledge of the local area helped him identify secluded locations where victims could be attacked.

The investigation has continued to expand years after his initial conviction because Popkov repeatedly confessed to previously unknown murders. Some of his claims could not be independently proven, so the number of legally established victims is lower than the total number he has claimed responsibility for at various times. As of 2026, Russian authorities state that 91 murders and three attempted murders have been established.

In April 2026, Popkov was transferred from the Irkutsk region to a special-regime prison in the Republic of Mordovia to serve his life sentence. His latest conviction had become final after the March 2026 appeal decision. He remains imprisoned and has no prospect of release under his current sentence.

Sources:

• Investigative Committee of Russia
• Prosecutor's Office of Irkutsk Region
• Irkutsk Regional Court
• Angarsk City Court
• Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
• TASS
• RIA Novosti
• Interfax
• BBC News
• The Washington Post
• The Independent