Murder of Katarzyna Zowada

The murder of Katarzyna Zowada occurred at the end of 1998 in Kraków, Poland. The victim was a 23-year-old female student, who was attending Jagiellonian University. Investigators and experts from other countries were called to assist in solving the crime, including the FBI. Police made the first arrest in 2017, 19 years later, after discovering new evidence. As of September 2019, the suspect remains in custody while investigators continue to gather evidence. In 1998, Katarzyna Zowada (1 June 1975 - c. 7-14 December 1998) began studying religion at Jagiellonian University, located in nearby Kraków. According to friends, she was a nice, although "sad and withdrawn" person. She had suffered from depression since the death of her father in 1996. During her time at the university, she changed her field of study twice. After her first semester as a psychology student, she briefly attended a history course before settling on religious studies. On 12 November 1998, Katarzyna was due to meet her mother at the Psychiatric Clinic in Nowa Huta, where she had been treated for her depression. She never made it to the appointment. Later that day, Katarzyna's mother attempted to file a missing person's report at the local police station, but was told to wait. On 6 January 1999, while on the Vistula, the crew of the Elk pusher tug found a piece of evidence on the ship. After examination, it was discovered to be human skin. DNA tests indicated it belonged to Katarzyna. On 14 January, Katarzyna's right leg was also recovered from the river. Initially, it was assumed that the body had been destroyed by the boat's propeller. However, when the body fragments were examined, it was discovered that the skin was deliberately removed from the torso and the limbs and head were cut off. The skin was prepared in such a way as to create a kind of bodysuit that the murderer was probably wearing. In May 1999, the Forensic Medicine Unit in Kraków received a corpse of a man with a severed and scalped head. The killer, Vladimir W.