Katarzyna Zowada was a young college student kidnapped, tortured, and skinned alive in 1998 in Poland. Let’s find out more about this case in this article.
The Police were able to recover some evidence after more than a decade when they searched the lake where Zowada’s body was found.
Where Is Katarzyna Zowada Skin Suit Now?
The case of Katarzyna has come up in Polish media because the Vistula river was searched for any remains or other evidence again after almost a decade. However, the whereabout of the skinsuit is not revealed to the public yet.
According to the chief medical examiner, Katarzyna’s skin bears marks that could only exist in the circumstances where she’d fallen from a great height, was hit by a car traveling at more than 80 km/h, or was shot in the mouth. There is, however, no wound that can be caused by a bullet.
According to the FBI officers engaged in the investigation, the murderer is most likely an unassuming individual who may appear strange but is not threatening. It’s also conceivable that two people were involved.
What Happened in 1998? Case Detail
Miroslav M., a tugboat operator, opened a hatch aboard the Los, a barge pusher on the Vistula, on a winter morning on January 7, 1999, to remove what had been trapped in the propeller since the previous evening. He was expecting to see a tire or a tree branch, but what he found was unexpected.
When he smelled a horrible odor and spotted a human ear, he pondered what the object was; it was generic, light in color, and sack-like in appearance. What M. discovered were the bones of Katarzyna Zowada, a 23-year-old Religion Knowledge student.
Her skin, in particular, was carefully sliced away at the thighs and neck, only going as far as the left ear and excluding the face and arms. Her nipples, too, were missing. From under the right breast to the left shoulder, there was a diagonal seam.
Was Vladimir Arrested?
On October 4, 2017, Police apprehended Robert Janczewski, 52, nearly two decades later. Janczewski had been a suspect in 1999, but there was insufficient evidence to warrant an arrest.
After his arrest, investigators searched his flat and discovered blood evidence in his bathroom. They then continued to explore the apartment for more evidence. It’s unclear what was discovered.
Janczewski was a good match for the psychological profile. He had a reputation for bothering women and was a martial arts expert. He had also known Katarzyna and had been observed visiting her cemetery on several occasions.
He had dissecting experience from earlier work in a lab dealing with human bodies and from working at the Krakow Institute of Zoology, where he could see the processing of animal skins.