Serhiy Steblyakov

Serhiy Steblyakov (; born 1983), known as The Old Lady Strangler , is a Ukrainian serial killer who, together with accomplices Azamat and Robert Kardanov, robbed and killed five people in Moscow from March to May 2010. Considered the ringleader of the trio, Steblyakov was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, while the Kardanovs received lesser sentences after pleading guilty.

Early life Little is known about Steblyakov's life. Born in 1983 in the Ukrainian SSR, he purportedly grew up without a father and was raised solely by his mother. By the late 2000s, he was married, and would subsequently move to Russia as a guest worker, finding employment in the construction industry.

Meeting the Kardanovs Brothers Azamat and Robert Kardanov were both born in Stavropol Krai, in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Having grown up without a father, their mother moved them to the village of Belokamennoye in Kabardino-Balkaria, where they spent their childhood and youth. Due to the fact their mother had a mental illness and was unable to have steady employment, the Kardanovs relied on hand-outs from charitable strangers and were left to do whatever they wanted, spending most of their time on the streets. He himself would later claim that he briefly served as a mercenary in the Second Chechen War, but deserted yet again and finally settled in Kovrov, Vladimir Oblast, where he married a local woman and had a child with her.

For reasons unknown, the criminals would wait for almost two months before striking again. Steblyakov informed the brothers that he had chatted up 46-year-old Khamzat Abdulrazakov, an openly gay Chechen man who held the rank of colonel in the FSB and had a construction business in Moscow. After meeting him through his boyfriend, Roman Shamatov, who was an acquaintance of Steblyakov, he convinced Abdulrazakov that he had a good business offer and arranged for them to meet on April 30 in Izmaylovsky Park. Once they were finished, they dragged Solovieva to the bathroom and drowned her in her bathtub.

Arrest, trial, and imprisonment The double murder of Solovieva and Artemkina quickly garnered the attention of the Muscovite press due to the cold-hearted nature of the killings and the likelihood that they were killed by guest workers. Steblyakov's attorney then submitted a motion for the trial to be held behind closed doors, citing the sexuality of the male victims as being a potential factor for the jury to be unfairly biased against her client. The motion was granted, with the judges reminding that the sentences would still be announced publicly at the end of the trial.

During the proceedings, the Kardanovs pleaded guilty to most of the charges, while Steblyakov categorically refused to admit his guilt. In the end, all three were found guilty on all charges, with Steblyakov receiving a life term, while Azamat and Robert were given 23 and 21 years imprisonment, respectively. Upon hearing the verdict, Steblyakov began crying and claiming that the entire case against him had been fabricated.

As of February 2023, no new information has been revealed about Steblyakov or the Kardanov brothers' status, but it is presumed that they remain incarcerated.