Casefile True Crime - Case 108: The Kicevo Monster

Episode Date: March 2, 2019

When three women – Mitra Simjanoska, Ljubica Licoska and Zivana Temelkoska – are murdered in the Macedonian city of Kicevo, local journalist Vlado Taneski takes it upon himself to cover the stories in detail. Unbeknownst to him, police set their eyes on an unlikely suspect and start closing in to make an arrest. ---  Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched by Mike Migas and Paulina Szymanska Episode written by Elsha McGill For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-108-the-kicevo-monster

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. On November 16, 2004, 41-year-old Kanarinka Semyonowska contacted the local police station in Kichevo, a small city located in western Macedonia, to report her mother Mitra to be missing. The 64-year-old retired cleaner and housekeeper had left her home earlier that day for a trip to the market and hadn't been seen since. Kanarinka originally thought her mother may have gone to

visit some family members after going to the market, but as time passed and Mitra failed to return home, her daughter's worry increased. An inspection of Mitra's house showed no signs of forced entry or anything to suggest the struggle had taken place, and there were no other clues to indicate where she may have gone. Kanarinka pressed the Kichevo police chief to launch an investigation into her mother's disappearance, but she was met with reluctance and a non-nerving sense that the police viewed her with suspicion. When they asked her to pay them money to conduct an investigation, a frustrated Kanarinka sought help elsewhere. She walked a hundred metres down the road from her mother's home to the house belonging to

renowned freelance journalist Vlado Taneski. As the primary national news contact for the municipality of Kichevo, Vlado typically covered controversial political topics that plagued the region, ranging from police corruption to rising unemployment and illegal logging. While he had covered crime stories before, most were related to less serious issues like petty theft. Despite this, when Kanarinka Simianoska stopped by his house requesting he write an article about her mother's disappearance, Vlado agreed. When the article was published, it garnered local curiosity, but resulted in no leads. As days passed with no sign of Mitra, Kanarinka became increasingly worried that her mother had met with harm. Yet friends and neighbours held little concern,

as rumours speculated that Mitra probably ran away to escape a jealous boyfriend, or had simply relocated elsewhere and was safe and well. In the following weeks, Vlado Taneski continued to investigate Mitra's disappearance, scouting for information by interviewing her known acquaintances, but nothing worthwhile came to light. Mitra Simianoska had vanished without a trace. Almost two months later, on January 12, 2005, a scrap collector was scavenging through the neglected construction site of a sports stadium on the outskirts of Kichevo. As he foraged through the piles of junk and waste searching for anything of worth, he noticed something at the base of a steel construction frame. There, in a shallow hole

under a pile of rubbish and heavy stones, was a plastic garbage bag containing what appeared to be human remains. The Macedonian city of Kichevo is situated within the slopes of Bistro mountain. It offers little appeal for visitors, with its post-Yugoslavian buildings, crumbled sidewalks and bleak houses in desperate need of renovation. Most tourists don't bother stopping through, only glimpsing at sign on the journey south from Macedonia's capital of Skopje to Lake Okrid on the Albanian border. As was the case with most post-Yugoslavian states, the Macedonian government invested

its money into more prominent and popular locales. This meant smaller towns and villages like Kichevo were often overlooked and forgotten, deteriorating quickly as they fell behind the fast-paced advances of modern life. Life was slow in Kichevo, where its 20,000 residents enjoyed a quiet and relatively peaceful existence, harboured by a close-knit community with strong traditional values. As such, Kichevo was rarely mentioned on national Macedonian news, but as word began to spread about the body found at the abandoned sports stadium, Kichevo was suddenly making national headlines. The chilling discovery shocked even the most hardened of Kichevo's local police officers, who were used to dealing with incidences of theft and domestic violence

in their small town, but rarely murder. The victim was soon identified as missing 64-year-old Mitra Semyonowska. Forensic testing revealed she had been brutally beaten, raped, tortured, and strangled to death, with telephone cords used to bind her legs together. Examiners calculated Mitra had only been deceased for approximately 10 days, meaning she was kept alive and tortured by her abductor for the two months she had been missing. Community fear had little time to manifest, as police soon announced that several arrests had been made in relation to the crime. Less than two weeks before Mitra's body was found, senior citizen Radislav Bozanowski was spending New Year's Eve alone at his house in Malkez,

a small village neighbouring Kichevo, when suddenly two men aged in their late 20s broke into his home under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Both assailants subjected Radislav to extreme acts of physical and sexual torture, before beating him to death and fleeing the scene in possession of nothing more than some loose change. The two perpetrators were promptly arrested and identified as Kichevo locals, Ante Rosteski and Igor Mercheski. When the remains of Mitra Semyonowska were discovered later that month, with wounds similar to those found on Radislav, a connection between the two murders was quickly established. This link was later confirmed during a police interrogation when Rosteski and Mercheski each confessed to both murders.

But by the time their trial commenced months later in 2005, Rosteski and Mercheski retracted their confessions in relation to Mitra Semyonowska's murder, denying any and all involvement. They claimed their confessions were false, given under duress after enduring severe beatings from interrogating police officers. Whilst both accused were able to provide exhaustive details about the crimes they committed against Radislav, they claimed to know nothing about what happened to Mitra. Furthermore, Ante Rosteski insisted he had a solid alibi for the day she went missing, as he had been working away from Kichevo at the time of her disappearance. Nevertheless, the judge found both of the accused guilty of double murder,

and Ante Rosteski and Igor Mercheski were each sentenced to life in prison. Given the disturbing nature of the two crimes in the otherwise peaceful city, the murder trial garnered intense interest from the national media. In the courtroom, the press bench was full of reporters scribbling notes as they listened to the prosecution, defence, and evidence provided by witnesses. Amongst the crowd was journalist Vlado Taneski, observing the sad conclusion to Mitra's story that he had personally been covering since she initially vanished. In his subsequent article about the trial for daily newspaper Nova Macedonia, titled, Surgical Gloves for a Monstrous Murder, Vlado wrote,

In handcuffs and with surging eyes, 28-year-old Ante Rosteski and his friend Igor Mercheski, accused of a horrible double homicide in Kichevo and Malkets, walked into the courtroom. They stared vacantly at the ceiling and from time to time whispered, as if to themselves, it's all over, and now will pay for our crimes. In early November 2007, almost three years to the day since Mitra Semyonowska's abduction, 56-year-old cleaner Lubica Likowska left her house to buy groceries for lunch from a nearby supermarket. Two days later, she still hadn't returned home, and on November 12, Lubica's son, Ducco, filed a missing persons report with the local police.

As a word of Lubica's disappearance began to spread, investigators were at a loss, as there was nothing to suggest she had met with foul play. The 56-year-old was an upstanding citizen, a quiet, friendly woman who worked hard cleaning apartment buildings to support her family. Weeks passed, and with no sign of Lubica, Kichevo locals began to speculate over the similarities between her disappearance and the abduction of Mitra Semyonowska three years earlier. They were also reminded of yet another missing woman, 73-year-old Gorica Pavelska, a retired cleaner who was last seen five and a half years earlier on May 30, 2003. At the time of her disappearance, neighbors theorized that Gorica, who lived alone,

had perhaps moved to Skopje to look for work without notifying anyone. Alternatively, some speculated she may have suffered a heart attack or stroke while on her own in a remote area. There was nothing at her apartment to suggest something untoward had happened. And her disappearance had been quickly pushed out of the public consciousness. But given what had happened since, Gorica's disappearance seemed far more sinister now. On February 3, 2008, her truck driver was passing through the Kichevo area on his way to the city of Gostjeva when he stopped at a roadside refreshment area near the Straja mountain range. As he gazed down into the surrounding ravine, something caught his eye.

Sticking out from a rubbish-filled ditch was a human hand. Police were instantly notified, and an autopsy confirmed the body in the ravine was that of missing woman Lubica Lokoska. Forensic testing revealed the 56-year-old had been beaten, raped, and strangled to death. Her remains bound with telephone cords and wrapped in a plastic garbage bag. Lubica's death was calculated to have occurred just days before her body was discovered, indicating she was held captive for the three months she was missing. The similarities between the murders of Lubica Lokoska, Mitrosymyunoska, and, to a lesser extent, Rudislav Bozanowski, were too obvious to ignore. Especially for freelance journalist Vlado Taneski,

who had covered all cases extensively for local newspapers. Days later, on February 6, Vlado expressed his suspicions in an article for Macedonia's Morning Herald newspaper. He wrote, Rumours are bound. While the police are working on the case, the majority of people in Kichevo think that this murder is related to the double homicide of Mitrosymyunoska and Rudislav Bozanowski. He speculated over the possible scenarios that could have led to Lubica's abduction, putting forward the possibility that the attack may not have been premeditated. He suggested she may have been hit by a car, and instead of the driver coming to her aid,

they saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Weeks later, on the evening of May 7, 2008, 65-year-old Zivana Temalkoska, a retired janitor who now worked as a local cleaner, was sitting alone in her apartment when she received a startling phone call from a friend. They had been listening to local community radio station Canal 77 when they heard the news that Zivana's son, Zoran, had been involved in a car accident. Neighbours witnessed Zivana fleeing the apartment building with a worried expression on her face, walking at a fast pace in the direction of the hospital. In actuality, Zoran had not been involved in an accident and was perfectly fine. He returned home later that evening to

find the apartment empty. When his mother failed to return home that night, Zoran questioned friends and neighbours, discovering the bizarre circumstances that led to Zivana fleeing the building. Worried, Zoran contacted police to report his mother missing, only to discover there had been no reported car accidents that evening. This revelation raised the likelihood that the radio broadcast about Zoran's accident was not done in error, but was an elaborate hoax to lure Zivana from her apartment by whomever was responsible for her disappearance. The next day, a woman walking on a street near the local kindergarten heard a ringing sound coming from nearby and followed the noise to a

discarded mobile phone lying in a patch of grass. She decided to answer the call and was startled when a police officer spoke to her, asking the woman to identify herself into ordering her to stay put. Police arrived on the scene and confirmed the mobile phone is belonging to Zivana Temelkoska. Given the location where the phone was found, police believed it had been thrown out of a moving vehicle. They were now convinced Zivana had met with foul play. On May 16, 2008, nine days after Zivana vanished, a passer-by had a soccer field on the outskirts of town made a disturbing discovery. Amongst the pile of rubbish, they found a plastic garbage bag containing the body of Zivana Temelkoska. The 65-year-old cleaner had been raped, tortured,

and strangled, her body bound with telephone cords. Similarities were immediately drawn to the murders of Mitro Semyonoska in 2005 and Lubica Likoska just months earlier, with only one obvious difference. Unlike the other victims who had been found naked, Zivana was wearing a green polka dot nightgown, an item of clothing that did not belong to her. Further forensic examination revealed Zivana had likely been killed on the same day of her abduction. An autopsy revealed she had suffered multiple internal and external injuries, including five broken ribs, 13 knife wounds to the skull, and had endured violent sexual assault. Traces of Semyon found on Zivana's body were sent off at DNA testing as a police spokesperson

fronted the media, saying, we are talking about a violent death caused in an exceptionally monstrous way. Rumors that a serial killer was active in Kachevo presented a sensational news story. Vlado Taneski, who had been reporting on the string of murders from their outset, made the connection between victims by the killer's weapon of choice, a telephone cord which was then used to bind their bodies. A unique detail too specific to be a mere coincidence. On May 19, 2008, following the discovery of Zivana Temelkowska, Vlado Taneski wrote, the people of Kachevo live in fear and panic after another butchered body of a woman from the town was found this weekend. The local police and the citizens too see the mysterious

disappearance and hideous deaths of Zivana Temelkowska and Lubica Larkowska as an act of the same man, a serial killer. Police sources confirm the existence of a serial murderer in the town based on the fact that the women were tortured and killed in the same way, which eliminates the possibility that this was done by different people. The article explained that although investigators had interrogated several suspects, all had been released from custody shortly afterwards, meaning the killer was still at large. The journalist had then coined to the name the unknown killer would come to be known as, stating, the motives of the Kachevo monster remain unclear. The concept of a serial killer targeting the townspeople seemed so alien that even the

mayor of Kachevo stated his disbelief, quote, we have seen something like that only in films, western films about serial killers. In our town, nobody could ever assume this could happen. But there it was, it happened, and right in our neighborhood too. Despite the fact that her killers had already been convicted, questions still remained as to whether or not Mitra Simeonowska could have been a victim of the Kachevo monster. Arntei Rosteski and Igor Murcheski continued to profess their innocence for her murder, insisting the confessions they provided in 2005 were false. Given Mitra's crime scene bore parallels to those of Lubica Larkowska and Zavana Temelkowska, who were abducted

and killed whilst Rosteski and Temelkowski were serving time in prison, her judge requested a review of Mitra Simeonowska's case. The subsequent inquiry exposed a major error in the original investigation when it was revealed that Semen obtained from Mitra's body at the time of her murder did not match either Rosteski or Murcheski's DNA. This critical information was known by investigators prior to the trial in 2005, but was never presented in court. Although police insisted this crucial DNA evidence had been passed on to all relevant parties at the time, including the public prosecutor, it soon became clear that the DNA results were intentionally withheld to ensure a speedy conviction for Mitra Simeonowska's brutal murder.

Following this revelation, Arte Rosteski and Igor Murcheski were cleared for the wrongful conviction of the murder of Mitra Simeonowska, but remained incarcerated for the murder of Rudislav Bozanowski, which they continued to accept responsibility for. No one was held responsible for suppressing the DNA evidence that ultimately proved their innocence. The error became a major embarrassment for Kichevo police and the Justice Department. There are unethical actions enabling the Kichevo monster to continue to roam freely and harm others. With Mitra Simeonowska's murder officially revised to unsolved, the Semen sample found on her body was tested against the sample found on Zivana Temelkowska. While neither sample matched any known offenders within the criminal database,

the Semen found on both victims was confirmed to have come from the same perpetrator, expelling any doubts that a serial killer was at large. In a bid to catch the Kichevo monster, local law enforcement collaborated with the superiorly resourced Skopje police force to create a psychological profile of their suspect. They deduced he was likely a middle-aged male with a substantial physical strength required to restrain and strangle his victims before transporting their bodies. He had to be intimately familiar with Kichevo, and given there was no evidence of a struggle at any of his victims' homes or elsewhere, it was possible he was known and trusted by each woman.

The abductions and subsequent slayings appeared to be planned in advance, suggesting the killer had a higher than average intelligence, while the similarities between each implied he was well organized. The killer's haphazard way of discarding his victims within city limits was explained by a police spokesperson who stated, whether it was three weeks or three years after they were murdered, the killer wanted the bodies to be found. The killer's preferred victim suggested he harboured sexual frustration towards older women that had likely stemmed from childhood trauma and developed into sadomasochistic desires. Although it couldn't be ruled out that the Kichevo monster had an accomplice, investigators believed he acted alone. The psychological profile

enabled police to narrow down their search, but a large pool of potential suspects remained. A much needed breakthrough in the investigation came when a jersey located near Zivana Temelkoska's body was found to contain traces of an unknown person's blood, opening up the possibility it belonged to her killer. Police had the blood sample tested to determine the blood type, allowing the suspect pool to be narrowed down further. Through a process of elimination, the number of suspects was whittled down to approximately 150 men. Each was brought in for police questioning and were eliminated one by one, bringing the list down to just 10 names. After verifying the alibis of the 10 remaining persons of interest, police were left with just

three likely suspects. DNA samples were taken from each, but would take days to be tested against evidence collected from the crime scenes. The comprehensive efforts undertaken by police were eagerly overseen by the media, including the main reporter responsible for covering the case, Vlado Taneski. In one newspaper article, he wrote, Several teams of police experts are working day and night in the field and the laboratory to establish the identity of the serial killer. Yet, unbeknownst to the press and public, investigators were already confident they had identified the Kachevo monster. On the afternoon of June 20, 2008, Ogden Charcharich, an editor for daily newspaper

Novo Macedonia, received a phone call from one of his contacts at the Kachevo police department, advising that an arrest had been made in relation to the recent spade of murders. His contact wouldn't disclose the identity of the suspect in custody, but Ogden verified the information with the Ministry of the Interior, who confirmed it to be true. The Kachevo monster had been caught. Recognizing the breaking story presented his publication a huge opportunity, Ogden immediately grabbed his phone and called his go-to contact in Kachevo, award-winning freelance journalist Vlado Taneski. But much to his dismay, the call went unanswered. Ogden died again and again,

but still there was no response. This was highly out of character for Vlado, who was consistently reliable and always available when needed. Given that Vlado had been covering the case of the Kachevo monster since the beginning, it was even more unusual for him to be missing during the most significant moment of the entire investigation. Ogden's inability to reach Vlado Taneski led him to believe his star journalist was two steps ahead and had already learnt of the news and ventured to the police station to chase down a scoop. Ogden called the police station again, expecting to locate Vlado there, but was instead told by an officer, you don't have a reporter in Kachevo anymore.

Earlier that afternoon, dozens of police officers had closed in on an unassuming house in a quiet residential neighborhood of Kachevo. The house was typical of the area, a modern two-story building surrounded by fir trees and overgrown bushes, its metal window shutters half-drawn. Police entered the property and placed its owner, 56-year-old Vlado Taneski, under arrest for murder. Onlookers were left stunned as they watched the upstanding, soft-spoken and solitary journalist being led away in handcuffs. Unbeknownst to his editors, journalist Vlado Taneski had been a person of interest for the

killing since early in the investigation and had been called in for police questioning multiple times. He fit the profile of the killer impeccably. The 56-year-old was tall and in good physical shape, lived alone in the same neighborhood as the murdered women and was known to each of them. Initial suspicions were cast upon Taneski when investigators noticed he had the uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of his journalistic rivals. He was able to write about the murders with a deep level of insight that included specific details police had intentionally withheld from the press. Taneski wrote that police had wrongfully convicted Arnte Rusteski and Igor Mercheski for Mitra Semyonowska's murder long before the case was reviewed and a DNA evidence confirmed

their innocence. He was also the first person to publicly suggest the serial killer was responsible for the deaths of Mitra, Zivana and Lubica long before police had suggested the same. Additionally, Taneski speculated over the way in which Zivana Temelkowska had been abducted, specifying that she may have been coaxed from her house by false radio reports that her son had been involved in an accident. As a reporter, Taneski regularly submitted stories for inclusion on local radio news bulletins, ensuring he had the means to issue a false statement for broadcast. Suspicions directed towards Taneski were fully ignited when police noticed the seemingly offhand detail in an article he wrote for Nova Macedonia about Lubica Larkowska's murder.

The monstrous murderer brutally tortured the helpless woman, killing her by strangling her with a telephone cord. The fact that a telephone cord was used as the killer's signature weapon was not publicly known at the time and had been strategically withheld by police to maintain the integrity of their investigation, a police spokesperson said. We read Taneski's stories and they made us suspicious. He knew too much. Following his arrest, Taneski insisted he didn't know any of the victims personally, a remark that only served to further arouse police suspicion. They were fully aware that Taneski lived in the same close-knit neighborhood as the murdered women and that each had been an associate of his late mother. Furthermore, Lubica Larkowska had

previously worked as a cleaner for Taneski and the two had once worked together at the local metal factory. Taneski was held in police custody for 24 hours but refused to provide a statement. His answers to questions were evasive and he declined the invitation to contact a lawyer or advise anyone of his arrest. In the meantime, the results of his DNA testing came back. Three independent lab tests revealed Taneski's blood sample matched traces of semen found on Mitra Szymonowska and Zavana Temokowska as well as the bloodstained jersey found next to Zavana's body. Based on these discoveries, Vlado Taneski was formally charged with the murders of Mitra and Zavana. Initial DNA testing in relation to evidence obtained from Lubica Larkowska's crime

scene was inconclusive but forensic investigators initiated the examination of seven human hairs discovered at the dump site near her body. It would take a number of weeks before these results came back, giving police ample time to look into Vlado Taneski's history to learn what could have motivated the well-respected journalist to carry out such a brutal string of crimes. Born in Kachevo in 1952, Vlado Taneski was the middle child in a traditional Macedonian household with an older sister and younger brother. His father, Tryen, had fought in World War II before spending most of his adult life working as a night watchman in a timber factory. His mother, Gorica, worked as a cleaner at the local hospital. The couple were firm disciplinarians,

often resorting to corporal punishment to ensure their children's obedience. After his siblings left home, Vlado Taneski was left to care for his aging parents alone. He found a passion for journalism and politics that developed in his teenage years, where he served as the head of Kachevo's Communist Youth Organization. After graduating high school, he worked at a local metal factory, but his aspirations for journalism led him to go on and study at a political school in Croatia. At 21 years old, Taneski attended a regional poetry reading which was a huge success for the young writer. Not only did his poem win first place, he also met a striking young law student named Vesna. The two bonded over their love of

literature and began dating soon after, deciding to get married four years later. Days before their wedding, Vesna's family were in a car accident which claimed the lives of both her father and brother. She survived the ordeal, but the trauma led her to suffer from depression throughout the remainder of her life. Although this didn't stop her from fulfilling her goals and she went on to complete her law degree, becoming the first female lawyer in Kachevo. At the same time, her husband began working at the local radio station before securing a position as a full-time reporter for the largest daily newspaper in the country, Nova Macedonia. Although theirs was a supportive marriage, it had issues from the start, stemming from Vesna's conservative

and authoritarian in-laws. She'd watch her husband as he often clashed with his parents, turning his typically gentle demeanor into one of agitation and aggression. Whenever Vesna voiced her issues about her mother-in-law, Taneski always sided with his mother. Other than these issues, the pair had a relatively happy marriage and were well respected within their community. They had two sons who grew up to establish successful careers as academics and doctors, with Taneski taking on the role of a helpful and supportive father. The Taneski's owned a secluded summer cottage five kilometers from Kachevo, where the family's aging patriarch, Trion, chose to spend a majority of his golden years,

tending to his vegetable gardens and raising goats in solitude. The ramshackle-ult cottage was surrounded by cornfields in the middle of nowhere, which suited the elderly man perfectly. Then in August 2002, Trion was found dead in the cottage, with his death rumoured to have been the result of suicide. Following Trion's death, things only went downhill for the family. In December 2002, just four months after the death of her husband, Matriarch Godritsa took an accidental overdose of sleeping pills and passed away in the family home. The sudden deaths of his parents introduced financial problems to Vladotaneski's life, as he no longer received income from their pensions to help with the bills.

To make matters worse, in 2003, the newspaper he had been employed by for 20 years, Nova Macedonia was also experiencing financial hardship, and as a result, he was laid off from his full-time position. After starting work as a freelance writer for several publications, Taneski was paid on commission, but without the stable income, the responsibility of financially supporting their family lay on his wife's shoulders. In 2004, the Ministry of Education offered Vesna a promotion to the position of University Inspector, a career advancement which meant she would have to relocate to Skopje, the country's capital. Vesna bought an apartment close to her new workplace, while her husband remained in Kachevo

alone, planning to join her in Skopje when the timing was right. In the meantime, Taneski gained a technical qualification and opened a local air conditioning store to ensure he was bringing in regular income. Vesna regarded her husband as a progressive thinker who was far too ambitious to waste his talents in the small town of Kachevo, but he strongly preferred the quiet, provincial way of life. Taneski believed capitalism, Western ideals, and the open market economy were destroying the traditions of his country, and he longed for the time before Macedonia's independence from Yugoslavia. Those ideals spilled into his writing, where he wrote long nostalgic articles romancing the Macedonian countryside, glorifying manual labour and the rural lifestyle.

Many regarded Taneski's writing as outdated, and there were conflicting views about his journalistic style in a country intent on keeping up with modern times. While there didn't seem to be much interest in his whimsical, long-form prose, Taneski was committed to succeeding in the career he'd worked a lifetime to establish. When the Kachevo monster began his reign of terror, Vlado Taneski secured himself as the lead reporter on the case, interviewing friends and family of the victims whilst writing up stories for several major publications, ensuring his content received nationwide coverage. When Mitro Semyonowska disappeared, Taneski agreed to write an article about the case on behalf of her daughter, Kana Rinka.

Yet, even after two men were convicted for Mitro's murder, Taneski inexplicitly continued to investigate and report on the crime. When Lubica Lakoska disappeared, Taneski met with her worried family and sat with her sister as she described Lubica as quiet and gentle, details he later used in his articles on The Missing Woman. Lubica's sister later stated, I never suspected that he was the murderer, I knew him as a good, honest person. We weren't close at all, but we were neighbours. Taneski doorknocked to the area when Zavana Temalkoska disappeared, again interviewing neighbours, relatives and law enforcement before publishing his findings in articles on the crime.

Her son Zoran stated, When my mother disappeared, Taneski asked me questions. Even when he met me in the street, he'd inquire if I had news or if I suspected anyone in particular. We were neighbours for a long time, knew each other for years, so it never even crossed my mind that he might be the guilty one. Upon learning that police had arrested the journalist in relation to his mother's murder, Zoran said, You can't describe the feeling, it was very hard on me, to have someone kill your mother and then come to your house to say hi.

It's horrifying. Thorough searches of Vlado Taneski's properties uncovered a collection of pornographic videos and magazines at his family's remote summer cottage, along with various ropes and cords. Items of clothing and shoes belonging to the victims were also found at the cottage, leading police to speculate he had held the women captive at his property, where they were brutally tortured and sexually abused over an extended period of time, before he killed them and disposed of their bodies. Vesna stood by her husband and insisted the items of clothing in question belonged to her

late mother-in-law. Yet, the green polka dot nightgown, Zovana Temelkoska was wearing at the time her body was discovered, was believed to have once belonged to Vlado Taneski's mother, indicating a possible connection between the murders and Taneski's maternal relationship. Adding to this theory was the fact the victims shared many similarities with his mother, Godritsa Taneski, in that they were of similar age, appearance, and held the same job as a cleaner. When interviewed for the documentary series Evil Up Close, British psychologist Emma Short explained to the likelihood that Taneski had selected his victims based on their similarities to his mother. Considering the murder spree had begun after his mother's death,

it was possible Taneski's desire to kill was linked to the loss. Emma Short, quote, He was clearly very strongly attached to her, but a strong attachment to a parent doesn't always mean love. Sometimes it can mean hate or resentment, but those things are just as powerful as love. The day after Taneski was placed under arrest, the Ministry of Interior released a public statement announcing that Kachevo Monster had finally been caught. Vlado Taneski's full name was released, along with details about his occupation, and a list of the evidence so far collected against him. The revelations sent shockwaves throughout the country. Macedonia's Morning Herald newspaper broke the major news story,

which was unlike any the media or public had ever heard before. The article read, Is it possible that around the family lived such a killer, who was hiding so skillfully behind the mask of loyal and faithful husband, proud father, gentle son-in-law, and exemplary son? Many refused to believe the allegations, with speculation rife that police had framed Taneski due to his intricate coverage of the case, which pointed out the many failings of Macedonian law enforcement throughout the investigation. In an interview with Esquire magazine, a close friend and former colleague of Taneski's described his friend of 20 years as shy, humble, and unobtrusive. Quote,

I never felt there was any aggression, anger, or inhumanity within him. Vlado just seemed completely normal. When I heard that he was accused of being the serial killer, it was as if a lightning had struck me. In an article for the Financial Times, one of Taneski's former editors stated, To say that I was gobsmacked is an understatement. I was speechless. I was shaking. I couldn't believe he was the serial killer, and part of me still doesn't believe it. Even relatives of the Kachevo monsters victims were uncertain whether to believe the news. Lubica Larkovskaya's sister said she could never have suspected Taneski was the murderer, as she had only known him to be a good and honest person. Although, not everyone remembered him

that way. One neighbour described Taneski as a mysterious, silent man who never said so much as hello throughout his entire life. Another neighbour recalled him to be strange and antisocial. Vlado Taneski was ordered to remain in police custody for a 30-day detention period before legal proceedings commenced. He was assigned a public defender and transferred to a prison in Tatovo, a town located 70 kilometres north of Kachevo. Upon his admission to prison, a medical review declared him to be of good health. A prisoner accused of crimes as serious as Taneski's was expected to be treated carefully and provided with their own cell. However, like most of the jails in Macedonia at the time, Tatovo prison was severely overcrowded.

Taneski was placed into the only space available, a tiny cell consisting of two bunk beds and a grimy bathroom containing a toilet, sink and a large bucket. The small cell already housed three inmates, two men in their 20s who had been charged for meddling in the recent parliamentary election and a 49-year-old awaiting trial for poisoning a 14-year-old girl. Severe water restrictions meant taps were turned off during the day and inmates were instead provided with bottles of drinking water and plastic buckets to use for personal hygiene. These restrictions occurred during daytime hours only and weren't enforced during the night. On June 23, 2008, three days after Taneski's arrest, one of his cellmates awoke to the sound

of running water just before 2 a.m. The prisoner went into the bathroom and found Taneski on his knees with his arms by his side, face down in a bucket of dirty water. Correction officers rushed into the cell, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. By the time a doctor arrived, Vlado Taneski was dead. A search of his body revealed three items inside his pockets, a round-trip train ticket from Kachevo to Skopje, a blister pack of the antidepressant medication peroxatine and a note directing authorities to check under the pillow on his bed. There, they found a second note, which read, I am proud of my family and I love them very much. I have not done any of the things I am accused of.

I did not commit these murders. A subsequent autopsy of Taneski's body found the presence of water in his lungs, confirming drowning to be his cause of death. Other than a small bruise on his forehead, which was sustained whilst his body spasmed during the drowning, there were no other signs of violence or defensive injuries to suggest foul play was involved. Testing of the water in the bucket revealed no traces of sedatives, chemicals or poisons. The prisoner's governor confirmed Taneski had not been behaving suspiciously or raised any cause for concern in the day prior to his death. He communicated well with his cellmates, ate all of his meals and acted normally.

There were no marks or injuries on any of Taneski's cellmates to suggest that they could have been involved in his death in any way. During their attempts to resuscitate Taneski, prison guards had dragged him from the cell into a hallway, contaminating the scene. Without knowing specific facts like the exact positioning of Taneski's body at the time of his death, an inquest concluded the journalist had voluntarily ended his own life. A police spokesperson stated, he put his head in a pail full of water. He ended his life like in a horror movie. Under Macedonian criminal law, the prosecution of a deceased person is not permitted, meaning there would be no further legal proceedings against Vlado Taneski.

Given the highly unusual way that Taneski had chosen to end his life, conspiracy theories ran rife that implicated police in his death, with claims that correction officers had purposely sabotaged the crime scene to hinder any further investigations. Some of the wilder theories suggested the journalist had been a victim of waterboarding from officials, desperate to extract a confession. Some started to speculate that government officials had framed Taneski for the murders and orchestrated his death, with his DNA either planted or falsified to ensure the case was solved quickly, as with the botched conviction of Ante Rosteski and Igor Macheski. Although this seemed highly unlikely given the Republic of Macedonia aimed to join

the European Union and any further significant failures of their judicial system would reflect poorly on the developing country, the Macedonian government had much more to gain from conducting a fair trial of the accused serial killer and delivering a verdict based on the presentation of fair and factual evidence. The conspiracy theories reached political level, with several journalists criticising Macedonia's executive and judicial power. They blamed the Ministry of Interior for revealing Vlado Taneski's identity on national television the day following his arrest, an act they believed compromised the possibility of him receiving a fair trial. The entire investigation against Taneski was heavily scrutinised, including the fact that no

witnesses were present when key evidence was collected from his home and the remote summer cottage where his victims were allegedly imprisoned. Two weeks after Vlado Taneski's death, the DNA test results for the seven hairs found near Lubica Likovska's body were in, revealing they belonged to Taneski. A police spokesperson said, All these women were raped, molested and murdered in the most terrible way, and we have very strong evidence that Taneski was responsible for all three. In the end, there were many things that pointed to him as a suspect that led us to file charges against him for two of the murders. We were close to charging him with a third murder and hoped he would give us details of a fourth

woman who disappeared in 2003 because we believe he was involved in that case too. The fourth woman was 73-year-old Gordytsa Pavelska, the retired cleaner who hadn't been seen since May 2003. Whether or not Taneski was involved with her disappearance would now likely never be determined. Her whereabouts remain unknown. Members of the public continue to form strong opinions on the matter. Macedonia's leading criminologist Marijan Kotevski called Taneski's suicide balanced and tendentious, saying the only person who had anything to gain from Taneski's death was Taneski himself. He believed that when faced with the evidence, Taneski had cautiously examined all the pros and cons of his situation and chose a mysterious outcome that would ensure he

avoided the embarrassment of a public trial while causing people to question his guilt, therefore protecting his family from disgrace. Using great willpower, Marijan Kotevski believed it was very possible that Taneski had overcome his biological reflexes to gasp for air, and he was able to keep his head underwater until he eventually passed out and died. Another controversial issue surrounding Taneski's suicide was the peroxatine tablets found in his pockets at the time of his death. The main ingredient in this medication is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI, which is used to treat depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Although peroxatine is a popular drug with many health benefits when administered

correctly, it is also very potent. Several studies have linked the medication to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors in certain individuals who use it. In Macedonia, there was a certain stigma surrounding mental health, especially in more traditional communities like Kichevo. Despite peroxatine being proven to be effective in treating a range of mental health issues, many avoided seeking treatment out of fear of being judged by family members, neighbours, or co-workers. Vlado Taneski had faced a difficult and challenging period from 2002 onwards after the unexpected death of both his parents, followed closely by the loss of his long-term job, but he never sought medical help from his doctor. In Macedonia, peroxatine was available

over the counter, and Taneski had been purchasing it without a prescription. Therefore, it was unknown how long he had been taking the medication for, and whether or not it could have influenced his decision to end his life. Due to Macedonia's criminal law against prosecuting a deceased person, in September 2008, officials confirmed that the investigation into the murders of Mitra Semyonowska, Ubica Likowska, and Zavana Temelkowska was officially closed. There were still many people unconvinced of Taneski's guilt. Daniela Trupchevska, a crime reporter from Macedonia's Morning Herald newspaper, stated, police said it was suicide. Others, like me, don't think so, and I'm not 100% convinced that Vlado

was the killer, either. After all, he never stood trial. Sometimes I think maybe he really did it. Maybe he killed those poor women, and he had some awful desire or need to write about it. But then again, he didn't seem like he could harm anyone, let alone be a serial killer. In an interview with journalist Dmitry Kanarov for Literary Magazine Virginia Quarterly Review, Vlado Taneski's widow Vesna continued to stick by her husband, believing him to be innocent. She explained, And tell them I haven't done anything wrong. One day, things will be cleared up. Many others staunchly disagreed, pointing out that Taneski published information in his articles

that only the killer could know, while also arguing that Taneski's DNA found on the bodies of the victims proved without doubt that he was responsible for their deaths. A police spokesperson said, The results are absolutely categorical. It was a 100% match. It's unfortunate for us that because the suspect died, the case will never go to trial, and our evidence cannot be presented in court. In 2001, the Macedonian Institute for Media established a journalistic code of ethics in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. The code states that the main duty of the journalist is to respect the truth and the right of the public to be informed,

while striving to prevent censorship and distortion of news. Journalists are required to respect ethical values and professional standards, while reporting honestly and objectively at all times. The code specifically states, Having in mind their role in the building of democracy and civic society, journalists shall defend human rights, dignity and freedom. In an interview with Esquire magazine, Vesna Taneski spoke of her late husband's love for his chosen profession, saying journalism was something he couldn't live without. If he was given an assignment, he would drop everything. Whenever he was working, he would rub his hands together and be so happy. However, many former colleagues dispute Taneski's

journalistic integrity, claiming that throughout his career, his writing was full of cliches and often didn't satisfy the basic journalistic structure or standards. As stated by Dr. Mamoza Restova, a science professor specializing in forensics at Skopje University, quote, Vlado Taneski didn't have a source for much of the information in his reports. The only source he had was himself.