Russia Throws Away Key for Serial Killer

A Moscow jury on Monday sentenced a man dubbed the Chessboard Killer to life in prison with no parole for 48 homicides committed in a city park.

Former supermarket worker Alexander Pichushkin, 33, pleaded guilty to 60 slayings and three attempted killings from 2001 to 2006. He testified last week he actually began killing in 1992, Interfax reported.

He got his nickname after telling investigators he wanted to put a coin on every square of a 64-square chessboard for each of his victims, Euronews.net reported.

Monday, the jury followed the prosecution’s request and convicted him of 48 murders and three attempted murders and sentenced him to life with no eligibility of parole.

The majority of Pichushkin’s victims were elderly, lured to their death by offers of free vodka, the Novosti news agency reported.

Pichushkin testified he dumped the bodies in sewage streams but got frustrated when his spree wasn’t receiving media attention and began leaving the bodies in the open.