November 15, 1979 - Denis Gorin
Gorin's case gained renewed attention not only for the nature of his crimes but for what came after: a presidential pardon following military service in Ukraine placed him at the center of a national controversy over whether the state should offer redemption — and freedom — to convicted killers in exchange for frontline duty. His crimes unfolded over a decade in a remote island town, and his victims numbered at least four, with his brother as an accomplice throughout.
From Wikipedia
Denis Vladimirovich Gorin (Russian: Денис Владимирович Горин; 15 November 1979 – 1 July 2024) was a Russian serial killer and cannibal who, with the aid of his brother, committed at least four murders in the town of Aniva, Sakhalin Oblast, from 2002 to 2012. In 2018 he was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment.
In early 2023, while in a penal colony, Gorin signed a contract with a private military company (PMC) and was sent to Ukraine to participate in the Russian invasion of the country. Gorin fought in the ranks of the Storm-Z and was wounded during a battle, after which President Vladimir Putin pardoned him and allowed him to return to his hometown. This act sparked outrage across Russia, causing great debate about the morality of pardoning criminals to fight in the ongoing war. Gorin later died in the war.
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