The Misery Machine - The Case of Zaliya Shamigulova

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Starting point is 00:01:59 Test performance does not guarantee future results. Content warning. This video is about a sensitive topic involving loss of life. We've removed any graphic content to comply with YouTube's guidelines. We aim to provide informative, factual journalism on a tragic event in the public interest that does not dismiss its seriousness. All clips are used under the doctrine of fair use for news reporting and analysis. Zaliyah Shamagulova was born in 1994 in the town of Uchelli, in Bashkortistan, which is a Republic of Russia

Starting point is 00:02:27 located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Her father, Samat, worked as an engineer at a power station, while her mother, Zolfia, taught English for more than 30 years. She grew up with her older brother Timer in a household that was tightly bonded and deeply supportive. Their relationship, according to relatives, was loving and without conflict. Her upbringing was remembered as steady and full of care. At five years old, Zaliyah began school. She stayed in Uchelli for her early education and went on to graduate with a gold medal,

Starting point is 00:03:01 a distinction that marks top academic achievement in Russia. Those who knew her in childhood remembered a cheerful, curious girl who loved to explore. Friends from school praised her intelligence and gentle demeanor. One person recalled how no one had a bad word to say about her, and she was cheerful, kind, and humble. Another added she was always smiling, thoughtful, and easy to talk to. People close to her often described her as generous and beautiful. Zaliyah had a love for the outdoors and discovering new places that was unmatched.

Starting point is 00:03:36 She often went hiking in the mountains and shared pictures of her travels on VK, a popular Russian networking site. Her excitement for exploring the world and learning new things stayed with her throughout her life. In 2011, she left her hometown for Chelyabinsk, where she joined the South Ural State University as a student of international relations. During her time there, she became a key figure on campus, leading the Student Information Commission and serving as the editor of the university newspaper. By 2014, her efforts had not gone unnoticed. She was named the region's journalist of the year and also had the honor of being a torchbearer for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Starting point is 00:04:14 Her passion for helping others was also very clear. In 2013, she took part in the Summer World University Games as a volunteer. Following universities, Zalia started working as an HR manager in career. consultant, guiding people through job interviews and helping them identify potential career paths. She later started teaching personnel management and career development at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations in Russia, where her coworkers described her as dedicated and compassionate in everything she did. Though she was based in Chellabinsk and lived with her roommate Elena Guseva, her ties to her family in Uchelli remained strong. She spoke regularly with her mother

Starting point is 00:04:52 and brother, often sharing photos and messages about her family on VK. Her aunt Golnaz once mentioned how close Zaliyah was to her mother, calling her devoted. Over the last few years, Zaliyah had been moving around the world quite a bit. Back in the spring of 2023, she spent nearly a month in Mauritius. By early 2024, she had wrapped up her last job and launched into a solo global journey. She kicked things off by spending two full months in Bali, settling into island life on her own. She also spent time in my favorite place in the world, world, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Starting point is 00:05:28 Then in mid-April, she made her way to Cape Town. She mentioned online that the weather felt chilly, and not long after, she traveled deeper into the country to experience the African Burn Festival in the Karu Desert. For the May holidays, she lived off-grid in a desert camp. When this season changed, she returned to South Africa in the fall and went on a hot air balloon ride, something she documented it in photos in her social media. Despite all this traveling, she kept the time. up with remote consulting work. She also continued her language studies in both Mauritius and South

Starting point is 00:06:01 Africa. French became a focus since it was widely spoken where she was staying. On June 2nd, 2024, Zaliyah landed in Mauritius again, this time with her roommate Elena. They settled into an apartment in Flick-on-Flock, a small beachside town. According to her friends, she had planned to remain there through the end of the summer and then return in late August. She had then planned to go to Madagascar on September 1st. Her days in Mauritius were spent exploring and working online. She kept her VK, Facebook, and Instagram accounts updated with snapshots of markets, beaches, and the island's lush green landscapes. June 18, 2024, Zelia made a post to her Facebook.

Starting point is 00:06:43 The post translated from Russian, reads in part, My New Life. I have been abroad since December, 2023. I lived in South Africa, Indonesia, and now I am in Mauritius. At the end of April, I stopped working for the company, took a break from all projects, and went to the desert for the May holidays. I lived without a schedule and a professional role.

Starting point is 00:07:05 In May, I finally handed over my affairs to the company, continued to teach classes at the Institute and vacancies for clients, but my focus shifted from work to communicating with friends, making new acquaintances, and walking. Google Calendar has finally become similar to a normal human one, and not to a human machine calendar, that does not even need a tea break. I took on a new HR project.

Starting point is 00:07:27 I froze in Cape Town, winter has begun. I bought tickets to the island of Mauritius and flew here to warm up. I finished all my classes, coursework, diplomas. I am getting to know the local culture and started learning French. Many people speak it here. Finally, space for ideas and motivation for a new leap to a new level of life began to appear in my head. It will be very interesting, primarily for me. A few days later on June 24,

Starting point is 00:07:52 first, she followed up with another post, which we also translated from Russian. It read, What happened while I was away from Facebook? One, I continue to work in recruiting and hone my skills. I've managed to help many businesses across Russia with staff selection, both independently and with recruiters on my team. Two, I do career consulting. I am a certified career guidance counselor for adults. I conduct career sessions and help people build their vector of professional development, find a job that matches their values, and solve career problems. Three, I went into employment, grew from HR manager to HR director, restructured the work of the department, brought order to different processes, and built a corporate culture in the company.

Starting point is 00:08:32 Four, I took on a project to streamline a company's organizational structure, systematize all regulations and instructions, and it was not easy, but I was very successful. Five, I have been teaching for four years already. I have graduated countless groups, and I have been supervising for three years. With the new generation of HR, we are building a modern vision of personnel management, which is all about technology, business needs, and a systematic approach. This is all about work, which has been and remains a very important part of my life. And also, I have been living abroad for seven months now, learning new cultures, going through my personal transformation through life by the ocean, and meeting new people.

Starting point is 00:09:12 In Mauritius, Zaliyah began meeting new people again. By that summer, she had been chatting with a man she met on Tinder. That man was Per Yavar Singh Sunday. a 29-year-old IT engineer who also lived on the island. During her time there, Zaliyah and Peryavur Singh often exchanged messages online. Local reports claimed that he had spoken to his friends and relatives about his feelings for her, saying that he was in love and even planned to propose. Zaliyah, however, had written online that she wasn't committed to anyone and was focused on her travels. Her family knew Peryavising's family, and they did not think he was dangerous. According to her Facebook page on August 12, 2024,

Starting point is 00:09:54 she attended a wedding on the island. Dressed in a sparkling red-in-go-la-Henga, she invited her friends and family members to rate her look from 1 to 10. Her caption translated from Russian read, I became a guest at an Indian wedding in Mauritius, turned into an Indian woman. This would be Zaliyah's final Facebook post.

Starting point is 00:10:16 A week later, on the morning of August 17th, just after 10.30 a.m., Zaliyah told Elena that she was stepping out to meet someone and would return in a few hours. Elena saw her leave the building and get into a blue Toyota waiting outside. She wore a light blue and white summer dress and carried a small purse. Security footage later showed her entering the car on a street nearby. The plan, apparently, was for Priyavrising to drive her to meet another person in Kripeep, which was about 15 kilometers away. But after that, Nothing. Hours passed. No messages, no updates, no calls. That evening, her absence became worrying. Friends tried calling her, but there was no response,

Starting point is 00:11:00 and their text went unanswered. Then suddenly, messages began coming from Zaliyah's phone, but they didn't sound like her. They said she was choosing to disappear, that she was cutting ties with her family and that she did not want to be contacted anymore. Her family and friends didn't buy it. Something felt very wrong. Her aunt Gulnaz said in a report that Zaliyah was very attached to her mother. She wouldn't just disappear like that. If she could, she would have gotten in touch. By August 18th, Elena went to the police to report Zaliyah missing.

Starting point is 00:11:33 There, the criminal investigations department in Flick and flock took over. In addition, the Russian embassy in Port Louis issued an alert and offered support. Now, Peryav Singh was the obvious person of interest. Police and Mauritia started their inquiry by talking to anyone who might have seen Zelia that day. He pulled CCTV footage and matched it with a car license plate. That gave them enough to detain Per Yavar Singh for questioning. They soon realized that he had deleted all of their messages. When asked about that day, Per Yavar Singh said that he had dropped Zaliyah off and cure Pete by noon and that he had not seen her sense. He said they had met earlier that morning

Starting point is 00:12:10 and by 1.15 p.m. he left her near his workplace. But that claim couldn't be confirmed. The area he mentioned just happened to have no surveillance cameras at all. So there was no footage to prove or disprove his story. He told the police he went to pick up his son afterwards and that he hadn't contacted Zaliyah again. Police released him after that round of questioning, but they held onto his car for further checks. Back at the apartment, Elena and others were trying to track Zaliyah down themselves. They checked hospitals and clinics thinking maybe she had been hurt and couldn't reach anyone. But there was nothing at all.

Starting point is 00:12:48 Zaliyah's family in Russia was holding on to the hope that she had been taken somewhere against her will but was still alive. Zaliyah's aunt even said they believed that she could be rescued. Now, there's been theories circulating around the internet that I think we need to take a moment to talk about. Some folks have discussed the possibility of Elena being an alternate suspect in this case. We do not feel she is a suspect and will explain to you why, based on the information we have available to us at the time. this time. Obviously, if new information comes out, we reserve the right to change our opinion. Some folks have found the fact that they, Elena and Zelia, are from the same area of Russia and that they often shared social media posts taken at the same place at the same time

Starting point is 00:13:31 to be strange. Now, to me, that's not strange at all. Zaliyah and Elena were close friends, roommates, and traveling companions. It would only be natural to want to share experiences while you're overseas with the person you're traveling with, especially when you share the same native language. The other piece that's been brought into question was Elena's Instagram post on August 17th, the day Zaliyah went missing. In the post, Elena is playing a game called Lila

Starting point is 00:14:00 with the group of international friends over Zoom. The caption read, Five people from all parts of the world and our game master gathered to create something special. Now, Lila isn't some sort of, sketchy game. It's a 5,000-year-old board game from India similar to snakes and ladders. It was created by Hindu scholars with the intention to teach moral values and to provide insight into human consciousness and a key to divine knowledge. Having your game master or DM

Starting point is 00:14:29 makes something special for you in a game isn't something dangerous or weird. We'll link the game for you in our show notes if you want to check it out for yourself. After this post, Elena went radio silent until October 7th. exactly two months later. I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but let's be honest here. If your good friend, roommate, and travel companion was a victim of foul play, I think it's understandable to want to take a moment for yourself to mourn, but that's just me. Later that evening, Pryavur Singh was brought back in. During the second interrogation, it was revealed to him that Zalia's blood was found in his car. That's when he broke down and finally

Starting point is 00:15:11 confessed. Or into a statement, the motive behind what he did was betrayal. Tsar, the lead investigator, later said that Peryavar Singh felt Zaliyah had cheated on him, all because she was interested in someone else. He claimed to be deeply in love, said he had plans to marry her, and couldn't handle what he believed was infidelity. So instead of a scenic outing, he led her into the forest and stabbed her. Now, to be clear, there was no evidence that they were in any sort of committed relationship. Biavarsing later said he had known Zaliyah for a very long time and had even introduced her to his family.

Starting point is 00:15:53 But according to reports, as well as testimony from Elena, their connection started only after she arrived in Mauritius, which was a little over two months before her death. Authorities of Mauritius eventually charged him with premeditated murder. Investigators pointed to jealousy as the likely motive. There was no documented history of men. mental illness or violence in his past. His reports described him as an ordinary IT worker with no criminal background.

Starting point is 00:16:18 After his confession, police took him into custody. And on August 21st, 2024, five days after Zaliyah disappeared, he led investigators to a location in La Marie and central West Mauritius. It was only a short drive from where she had been staying with her friend. That's where he showed them a shallow grave. Inside they found Zaliyah. authorities used her travel papers and DNA testing to confirm that it was actually her. The forensic report detailed multiple stab wounds concentrated around her neck and chest.

Starting point is 00:16:52 She had been stabbed several times, and in a particularly disturbing revelation, her tongue had been cut out. This had been done reportedly to prevent her from making any noise. She had been buried completely naked. That made investigators wonder, was this just an act of violence, or was it a calculated act to degrade her? Stripping her might have also been a move to erase physical evidence. Blood, hair, or DNA left on her clothes could have linked him directly to the scene, and removing everything could have been a way to destroy that evidence. Additionally, Zaliyah's body wasn't well concealed.

Starting point is 00:17:32 The grave was shallow, and it wasn't hidden in a remote area. In fact, it was in a spot that wasn't far from homes and had people passing through regularly. Police believe the original plan might have involved a more hidden location or even dismembering the body to move it more discreetly, but something must have shifted. They suspected that either the murder happened in a moment of uncontrollable rage, and once it was done, he panicked and dumped her in the closest spot he could find. Or maybe he had a more elaborate plan, but something interesting. it, forcing him to improvise. Whatever the case, it didn't feel carefully planned.

Starting point is 00:18:12 The whole scene, where she was buried, how she was left, looked more like a rushed attempt to hide what he'd done. Introducing Taco Bell's new jalapino citrus salsa with bright citrus, real red jalapinos, guahillo chilis. Usually you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce to your mouth. That rolled cassidia, not a rolled cassidia anymore. Now it's a sauce shovel. Taco Bell's jalapino citrus salsa. Get it with any item on the canteen of chicken menu while it's here. The participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time only while supplies last. Contact store for availability. You thought this was your run club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about run club era. The good news? Someone's

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Starting point is 00:19:22 before her remains were flown back to Russia. Friends and old classmates took to social media after news spread around, sharing pictures of Zaliyah smiling and asking for justice. Her parents, Zofia and Samat traveled to Moscow to take care of everything. We were later joined by Timer and Aunt Goulnaz. Speaking to reporters,

Starting point is 00:19:40 Goulnaz said Zulfia was broken by the death of her daughter and that she has lost the will to live. Family didn't hold back, demanding that the man responsible wrought in prison, promising they wouldn't rest until justice was served. On August 28, 2024, Zaliyah's body finally returned to Russia. Not long after, Zolfio wrote on her social media, my daughter, my soul, my pride, I will always love you.

Starting point is 00:20:06 In interviews, Alia's father added, Our beloved daughter, you were our support and hope. They asked for privacy as they grieved. Timer told the reporter, My parents are heartbroken, but they are still strong. Many people are helping and supporting us because my sister was such a kind person. Many people from Russia and elsewhere have expressed their condolences.

Starting point is 00:20:27 On behalf of our family, I thank everyone. My sister was a very bright and kind person. Everyone who knew her well is heartbroken. She was the kindest, purest, and most open person I have ever known. Everyone who knew her tells me the same thing. We're supposed to see each other again soon. She had no intention of staying there. Soon after the crime, Mike King, a retired police commander

Starting point is 00:20:50 and the host of the profiling evil podcast, was invited to speak with law and crime about the murder case of Zalia Shamagulova. During the conversation, Mike approached the case the way a profiler would, by breaking down patterns of behavior, analyzing decisions, and thinking through how certain details could point to deeper psychological dynamics between the individuals evolved. He started by reflecting on the setting in which everything took place. In his view, what stood out was not a single mistake, but a chain of risks that had quietly stacked on top of each other. He spoke carefully, clarifying that his observation, weren't meant to place blame on the victim. Rather, he was interested in how certain environments,

Starting point is 00:21:33 like meeting someone in a foreign place, away from your support system, can leave people more exposed to harm. For Mike, it was important to look at the context that allowed this interaction to occur in the first place. He explained that when someone enters a new relationship with a stranger in an unfamiliar country, the rules change.

Starting point is 00:21:53 There are fewer safety nets. There's more uncertainty. That, he said, makes all the difference when something goes wrong. Mike then shifted focus to what he calls victimology, which means understanding the victim's world in a detailed and specific way. He spoke about how small changes in communication patterns can often be the first signal that something isn't right. When someone who usually shares photos, posts updates, or messages to

Starting point is 00:22:18 loved ones frequently suddenly goes quiet or sends strange messages that don't match their usual tone, it should stand out to you. In his experience, those kinds of of shifts cannot be overlooked. They may seem small at first, but they often point to larger issues, especially when those messages are later suspected to have been sent by someone else entirely. What interested him was the gap between how the victim typically expressed herself and how the new sudden messages came across. Mike suggested that the differences in language, sentence structure, or tone might reflect someone else trying to speak in her place. He speculated on whether a translation app could have been used, especially if the suspect didn't speak her native language.

Starting point is 00:23:02 That kind of digital mimicry, he said, is something investigators look for early in the process. If a message sounds off, it probably is. Mike also spoke about how relationships formed online, especially in a short span of time, create a dangerous illusion of familiarity. He explained that people often feel they've built trust just by spending time in digital conversation. But real trust, the kind that keeps people safe, usually comes from knowing someone through shared experience or social circles. In his analysis, the digital nature of connection might have given both parties a sense of intimacy that wasn't grounded in reality. When Mike

Starting point is 00:23:42 moved on to consider the suspect, he wondered, what kind of person reacts this strongly to a short-lived connection? Was there something else going on, some prior behavior, some fantasy, that led him to seek out this exact kind of scenario. Mike weighed the difference between someone acting out of a spontaneous rage and someone executing a plan that they had been concocting for a very long time. He pointed out that often the aftermath of a crime tells more than the act itself. The way someone behaves right after, what they hide, what they try to fix, and what they say can paint a clearer picture of what motivated them.

Starting point is 00:24:22 When someone tries to delay discovery or craft a false narrative through technology, Mike said it reveals an instinct for control. And control, in his words, is often the clearest trace of someone who sees others, not as people, but as tools in their own personal story. He spoke calmly about crime scenes and how they reflect the emotional state of the perpetrator. Oring to Mike, the condition of the scene, whether it's tidy or chaotic, concealed or left exposed, can help determine whether the crime was impulsive or planned. He noted that if someone attempts to stage or hide something after the fact,

Starting point is 00:24:58 it often suggests that their fantasy, whatever it may have been, fell apart in real time. That collapse of control is often where investigators find the truth. At one point, Mike turned to a specific detail in the case about Zaliyah's tongue being cut off. Talked about how such an act could be interpreted in different ways. Was it meant as a punishment, a symbol, A desperate attempt to silence. Mike walked through each possibility, outlining how investigators would explore

Starting point is 00:25:27 whether the act held ritual meaning or whether it was the product of a disturbed fantasy unraveling under stress. For Mike, it was also important to consider how this crime fit into the larger pattern or if it did it all. He explained how profilers often ask whether the person in question had tried something like this before,

Starting point is 00:25:46 if not in real life, then perhaps through repeated thoughts, stories, or attempts at control in other ways. Made it clear that violent fantasies don't always stay in the mind. Over time, they push into reality, and when they do, the way someone handles the moment can say a lot about whether they've planned it or if they've panicked.

Starting point is 00:26:06 He also mentioned something many people overlook. Predators, Mike said, often fantasize for so long that when the moment finally arrives, they find it doesn't match what they imagined. The reality of fear, resistance, and unpredictability causes the fantasy to break down. He explained that even someone who starts off with a calm control plan can unravel quickly once things don't go as they expected.

Starting point is 00:26:30 When the fantasy collapses, what's left is often chaos, and that chaos leaves behind clues. The trial against Pryavar Singh Sunder is still ongoing. He is innocent until proven guilty, but if convicted, he could face a prison term of 60 years or more. given his age, that would likely mean spending the rest of his life behind bars. Mauritius does not allow the death penalty, so that sentence would be the most severe possible. Days before her murder, Zaliyah made the following post to her Instagram account.

Starting point is 00:27:04 It read, choose happiness every day. Some sources have translated this to catching happiness every day. Either way, the point still remains. Zaliyah should still still. be here today, traveling the world, going on adventures with Elena, and being happy every day.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Zaliya Shamigulova

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