Two university students said to have been inspired by a scene from Breaking Bad are on trial for murdering their teacher – a renowned chemistry professor at a prestigious university – before dismembering his corpse and dissolving it in acid.
They allegedly did this to steal his savings of RUB 1.9 million (GBP 18,700), and they were reportedly inspired by the TV series Breaking Bad, in which there is a scene in which a body is dissolved in acid.
After the body was dismembered, the pair allegedly transported and stored the body parts in hydrochloric acid and chlorine in containers on the balcony of another apartment they had rented.
The two defendants are even said to have invited friends over to the flat for drinks while the containers with the body parts inside were out on the balcony.
The shocking murder took place in the city of Voronezh, which is located in the Voronezh Oblast region in western Russia, on 4th March 2020, and the defendants are now on trial.
The victim has been named as Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, 58, who was a reportedly renowned chemistry professor at Voronezh State University. The defendants have been named as Dmitry Bykovsky, 35, and Alexander Kharlamov, 31.
The defendants stand accused of having shown up at the victim’s home and put chloroform over his mouth when he opened the door. The professor then allegedly died from injuries and acute chemical poisoning. The pair then allegedly decided to dismember his corpse and dissolve it in acid.
Bykovsky has reportedly not shown any remorse during the trial, during which he was observed smiling on several occasions and responded arrogantly while being cross-examined, even trying to ‘teach’ state prosecutors how to interpret the criminal code.
Bykovsky was reportedly close to the professor, who is said to have opened his door to him and Kharlamov trustingly.
The mature postgraduate students allegedly raided his bank account after his murder. They are also alleged to have kept the containers with the dismembered body parts inside on the balcony of the flat for about three months.
The murdered professor’s sister, named in reports as Tatyana Selezneva, speaking about the two defendants, reportedly said: “Let them suffer until the end of their days!” Prosecutors have requested 21 years in prison for Bykovsky and 19 for Kharlamov.
Both defendants stand accused of a litany of crimes including committing murder in a group, robbery while causing grievous bodily harm to the victim, illegal entry into a dwelling, and theft of a passport and other personal documents.
The last hearing took place at the Voronezh Regional Court on Thursday, 3rd February, with the next date set for 15th February for the verdict.
