Andrei Yurkin

Andrei Nikolaevich Yurkin (Russian: Андрей Николаевич Юркин; born 26 May 1970), known as The Mordovian Maniac (Russian: Мордовский маньяк), is a Russian serial killer and rapist who, together with two accomplices, raped and killed five women in Saransk and its suburbs from 1994 to 1995.

After being initially sentenced to death for his crimes, Yurkin's sentence was commuted to 15 years imprisonment by the Supreme Court due to the moratorium on capital punishment. He served out the remainder of his sentence and was released in 2009.

Early life Andrei Nikolaevich Yurkin was born on 26 May 1970, in the village of Staroe Kachaevo, in the Mordovian ASSR. Little is known of his early life, but according to friends and relatives, the Yurkins were known as good, law-abiding citizens with no known issues. In his youth, Yurkin began to show interest in bodybuilding, and after graduating high school, he left his native village and moved to Saransk. Unlike the previous victims, Yakushnina recognized the men from the local gym and threatened to turn them over to the police. In response, Yurkin strangled her and then dragged the body to a nearby garage, where he covered it with snow, branches and garbage. After their capture, Kostin and Lavrushkin claimed that the murder was entirely Yurkin's doing, and after experiencing great pleasure from the killing, he would start carrying a clothesline on him in future attacks.

On 24 December, Yurkin and Lavrushkin picked up 19-year-old Svetlana Marochkina on the pretense of giving her a ride to Ruzayevka. On the way, they unexpectedly turned towards Zykovo and stopped at an abandoned building, where Kostin was waiting for them. Lavrushkin and Kostin were also found guilty on all counts, but as the courts considered them as simple accomplices, they were given 10 and 6 years imprisonment, respectively. Subsequently, the press service for the Supreme Court released a statement in which they outlined their reasoning for the decision. As a felon, he was registered with the local police department's migration service, which was headed by his classmate Ivan Bochkarev. Since his release, Yurkin has led a very secluded life and has avoided publicity, but reportedly has not shown any aggressive behaviour towards others.

After having his passport renewed, Yurkin left Mordovia and moved to the Moscow Oblast, where he found a place to live and started work as a private taxi driver. In subsequent years, he moved to Saint Petersburg, where he makes his living as a trucker, but since 2015, it has been reported that he has returned to Mordovia.: According to the representatives of the Bolsheignatovsky District Administration, Yurkin annually visits his sister and other relatives in Staroe Kachaevo and stays for several weeks, but ever since his release, he has not committed any crimes and is considered rehabilitated.