Sălcuța serial killer

The Sălcuța serial killer is the name given to an unidentified Romanian serial killer believed to be responsible for at least five murders committed in the village of Sălcuța from 1992 to 1999.

A shepherd named Francisc Trombițaș was prosecuted for these crimes but was exonerated of all charges in 2009. The statute of limitations on all murders has since passed, meaning that even if the culprit is found, he cannot be prosecuted.

Murders Confirmed The first confirmed murders date back to the night of March 24 to 25, 1992, when 64-year-old Domnița Macarie was raped and strangled in Sălcuța. This crime was witnessed by a neighbor named Ioan Frătean, who was subsequently hit on the head by the perpetrator, crushing his temple. Frătean was still alive when found, but died from his injuries in the hospital, unable to provide any details. The double murder quickly drew the attention of the local police, and even though a list of suspects was formed, all of them were eventually ruled out.

Two years later, on the evening of February 27, 1994, 58-year-old Anica Rus lost one of her sows and went out looking for it near the village's Cultural Home, where it usually hid.

Suspects Francisc Trombițaș Shortly after Viorică's murder, police arrested her 63-year-old brother-in-law Francisc Trombițaș, an illiterate shepherd from the village of Jimbor who suffered from facial nerve paralysis on one side of the face. He was found not guilty by a regional court in 2004, but prosecutors appealed to the Court of Appeal in Cluj-Napoca. Trombițaș' health significantly worsened during this ordeal, and had to be placed in his family's care. Five months later, the 73-year-old died at his cottage in Jimbor from an undisclosed illness.

Other suspects During the investigation into the murders, two alternative suspects were proposed. One of them was a young man named Viorel Salvan, who allegedly said that he was going to kill Macarie after she had exposed him for several thefts.