AdamRed222
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From 1964, a series of murders took place in the territories of the Dabrowa Basin and Upper Silesia, continuing (with short interruptions) until 1970. The killer's or the Zaglebia Vampire's modus operandi consisted of stalking the chosen victim, running up and hitting them in the back of the head with a blunt object, then beating the victim until she died. The killer murdered a total of 14 women.
In November 1971, the police received a letter from Maria Marchwicki, in which she accused her husband, Zdzisław, of abusing her and their children, and also claimed that he was the Vampire. On 6th January 1972, Marchwicki was arrested in Dąbrowa Górnicza. Marchwicki himself denied responsibility, but behaved oddly at interrogations, talking about supposedly undisclosed murders, and when asked to sign the protocol, he wrote at the bottom that "this is all a lie". At one point, he took the protocol and attempted to swallow it. Also, five more people were arrested for being involved in the murder of Jadwiga Kucianka, which took place on 4th March 1970. The trial of the Vampire and his accomplices began on 18th September 1974 and on 28th July 1975, the court announced the verdicts for all six defendants: Zdzisław Marchwicki and Jan Marchwicki were given the death penalty; Henryk Marchicki - 25 years; Jozef Klimczak - 12 years; Halina and Zdzisław Flak - 4 years. At 21:00 PM on 26 April 1977, Zdzisław Marchwicki was hanged, and one hour later, his brother Jan was hanged.
However, over time, there have been questions asked on the subject of Zdzisław Marchwicki's guilt. It was noted that Zdzisław Marchwicki had pleaded not guilty, and the perpetrator was identified solely by identifying individuals who matched the perpetrator's psychological profile. The statements of Marchwicki's children, which incriminated him, were found to have been coerced by their mother. A large BDSM whip, owned by Zdzisław Marchwicki and considered the murder weapon, was considered by some forensic experts to be too soft to inflict the severe head injuries suffered on the victims. According to investigators, the most likely culprit behind the murders was Piotr Olszewy, who was kept under custody by the police during the investigation but Olszewy committed suicide. Therefore, the authorities, eager to convict someone for the murders, convicted Marchwicki to avoid bringing shame to the justice system for not bringing the purported killer to trial. Overall, the case of Zdzisław Marchwicki can be considered as a serious miscarriage of justice in Poland's history.
The only English-language sources on the case I could find were the following:
tvpworld.com
en.wikipedia.org
In November 1971, the police received a letter from Maria Marchwicki, in which she accused her husband, Zdzisław, of abusing her and their children, and also claimed that he was the Vampire. On 6th January 1972, Marchwicki was arrested in Dąbrowa Górnicza. Marchwicki himself denied responsibility, but behaved oddly at interrogations, talking about supposedly undisclosed murders, and when asked to sign the protocol, he wrote at the bottom that "this is all a lie". At one point, he took the protocol and attempted to swallow it. Also, five more people were arrested for being involved in the murder of Jadwiga Kucianka, which took place on 4th March 1970. The trial of the Vampire and his accomplices began on 18th September 1974 and on 28th July 1975, the court announced the verdicts for all six defendants: Zdzisław Marchwicki and Jan Marchwicki were given the death penalty; Henryk Marchicki - 25 years; Jozef Klimczak - 12 years; Halina and Zdzisław Flak - 4 years. At 21:00 PM on 26 April 1977, Zdzisław Marchwicki was hanged, and one hour later, his brother Jan was hanged.
However, over time, there have been questions asked on the subject of Zdzisław Marchwicki's guilt. It was noted that Zdzisław Marchwicki had pleaded not guilty, and the perpetrator was identified solely by identifying individuals who matched the perpetrator's psychological profile. The statements of Marchwicki's children, which incriminated him, were found to have been coerced by their mother. A large BDSM whip, owned by Zdzisław Marchwicki and considered the murder weapon, was considered by some forensic experts to be too soft to inflict the severe head injuries suffered on the victims. According to investigators, the most likely culprit behind the murders was Piotr Olszewy, who was kept under custody by the police during the investigation but Olszewy committed suicide. Therefore, the authorities, eager to convict someone for the murders, convicted Marchwicki to avoid bringing shame to the justice system for not bringing the purported killer to trial. Overall, the case of Zdzisław Marchwicki can be considered as a serious miscarriage of justice in Poland's history.
The only English-language sources on the case I could find were the following:
Serial killer’s children seek to clear his name, 50 years after execution
Nearly half a century after a man dubbed the “Zagłębie Vampire” was executed for a string of brutal murders, his children are mounting a legal effort to prove he was wrongfully convicted.
tvpworld.com
