Zdzisław Marchwicki

Zdzisław Marchwicki (October 18, 1927 – April 29, 1977), called the "Zagłębie vampire",[1] was an alleged Polish serial killer.

Zdzisław Marchwicki
Born(1927-10-18)October 18, 1927
Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland
DiedApril 29, 1977(1977-04-29) (aged 49)
Katowice, Poland
Cause of deathExecution
Other names"The Zagłębie vampire"
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims14
Span of crimes
1964–1970
CountryPoland
Date apprehended
1972

He was born in 1927 in Dąbrowa Górnicza to a lower-class family. His father went through five marriages in which four children were born—three brothers and a sister—all of whom were later charged along with Zdzisław for criminal conspiracy, robbery and obstructing justice.

Marchwicki was charged of killings committed in the following areas: in the neighbourhoods of Czeladź, Będzin, and adjoining towns in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and Upper Silesia. The murders started in 1964 and continued, with occasional breaks, until late 1970.[2]

Having been arrested in early 1972, Marchwicki was charged with the murder of fourteen women and the attempted murder of another six, but one attempted murder charge was not proven.[3]

After a highly publicized show trial which lasted for 10 months, Marchwicki received the death sentence in July 1975. His execution took place in 1977 in Katowice, Poland.[4]

Zdzisław's brother Jan Marchwicki also received the death penalty, while his third brother Henryk was sentenced to 25 years for taking part in a conspiracy to commit murder. The half-sister, Halina, got a three-year prison sentence for receiving stolen things such as watches and pens that she knew came from Zdzisław's victims.

Criminal penalties were given out to Halina's son, also called Zdzisław, for failing to inform the police about the murder conspiracies.[5]

One of Marchwicki's murder victims was the niece of Edward Gierek, who was then the Upper Silesian communist party leader. However, the prosecution and the police investigators denied being pressured by political forces in the criminal prosecution of Zdzisław Marchwicki.

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References
  1. "Wampir z Zagłębia. Historia zbrodni". www.rp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  2. http://www.murderpedia.org/male.M/m/marchwicki-zdzislaw.htm
  3. https://www.truecrimelibrary.com/crimearticle/zdislaw-and-hendryck-marchwicki/
  4. Redakcja (2012-08-18). "Zdzisław Marchwicki - "wampir z Zagłębia" był górnikiem w kopalni Zawadzki w Dąbrowie Górniczej". Dąbrowa Górnicza Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  5. http://killer.radom.net/~sermord/New/zbrodnia.php-dzial=mordercy&dane=MarchwickiZdzislaw.htm
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