The Human Skin Suit of Katarzyna Zowada

In 1998, a young Polish student attending Jagiellonian University disappears without a trace from Krakow City. Several months later, a ship makes an unexpected stop when something gets stuck inside a propeller.

They found a suit made from the skin of Katarzyna Zowada, the student who disappeared months earlier.

Someone cut all the limbs and head from the body, then made a body suit with the remains. It is unclear how the human skin suit wound up in the water. Authorities suspect the killer wore the body suit at some point. Days later, police found a right leg floating in the river.

Katarzyna Reported Missing by Mother

Katarzyna did not arrive for a scheduled appointment at a psychiatric clinic where she was being treated for depression. This prompted her mother to call the police to report her missing. To her dismay, police informed her to come back after 24 hours had passed.

Police eyed a man named Vladimir W., -who had killed his father and severed and de-scalped him- for Katarzyna’s murder. People reportedly saw the man wearing a mask made of skin pulled off the head of his father. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his father’s murder, but police later determined he was not involved with Katarzyna’s murder.

Case Closed

The case soon went cold. Police had no new leads and little evidence to go on. Without anything else to work with, police decided to close the case.

The case went cold and life went on for everyone. For the next 19 years, no one knew the identity of the killer. In 2017, a tip came in that would spark interest in the cold case and finally bring a suspect into custody.

In 2017, police received a letter from a friend of a man named Robert Janczewski. Police did not release the contents of the letter, although it did lead them to arrest Janczewski.

Janczewski Arrested 19-Years After the Murder

A former employee at the Cracow Institute of Zoology, the 52-year-old was charged with Katarzyna’s murder. He was trained in martial arts, knew the victim, visited her grave several times, and his history included harassing women. Janczewski was fired from his job the day after he killed all of the rabbits at the institute. He could not explain why he killed the rabbits when asked.

Police searched Janczewski’s apartment, finding blood inside the bathroom. Police removed the bath and frame for forensic testing after they found the blood. They also searched the rest of the apartment looking for any type of evidence.

Janczewski remains behind bars, although the trial was not open to the public. The status of the case, and whether he has been to trial, convicted, or sentenced for the crimes, is unknown.

Resources & More Information:

https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/2020/07/katarzyna-zowada-murder.html

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