I loved murdering, Russian ripper tells court

A Russian who murdered dozens of people keeping his score on a chessboard’s squares boasted today of the joy his first killing gave him.

Alexander Pichushkin said: “It’s like first love – it’s unforgettable.”

He also insisted that he be charged with all 63 murders he says he carried out, rather than the 49 prosecutors accuse him of.

Pichushkin says he killed the 63 people marking each one on a separate chessboard square and was one short of his 64 target when arrested.

Most were committed between 2001 and 2006 in Bittsa Park, a sprawling wild area on the southern edge of Moscow.

At Moscow City Court today he described the details of his killings and revelled in the memory of the first committed in 1992, long before the beginning of the ones he is now charged with.

“This first murder, it’s like first love, it’s unforgettable,” he said.

He also claimed that he was aware that his final victim, a woman, had left a note at home saying she was going for a stroll with him but he killed her anyway.

The note led to arrest soon afterward in June 2006.

“I burnt myself, so there’s no need for the cops to take credit for catching me,” he said. “I’m a professional.”

Most of the victims were men lured to the park with the promise of a drink of vodka to mourn the death of his “beloved” dog.

The court judge today tried to limit Pichushkin from testifying about murders other than those he was charged with.

“And the 63 doesn’t interest you? Even though they found the bodies,” he replied.