No official link between the murders was made until the July 7 attack on two boys in Podgorodnoye. Vadim Lyakhov, the survivor, was initially placed under arrest, suspected of murdering his friend. He was reportedly denied access to counsel and beaten by police during questioning. However, it quickly became clear that he was not responsible for his friend's death, and that the murder was connected with the murder spree. Lyakhov cooperated with the investigators to create sketches of the attackers.
Several days later, on July 14, 45‑year-old Natalia Mamarchuk was riding her scooter in the nearby village of Diyovka. As she was passing through a wooded area, two men approached her and knocked her down. They then bludgeoned her to death with a hammer or pipe and drove off on her scooter. Local witnesses gave chase but lost sight of the attackers. Two local children also witnessed the attack from nearby, hidden in a tent just a few feet away. They provided a detailed description matching the one given by Lyakhov. A task force was quickly set up from Kiev, headed by lead criminal investigator Vasily Paskalov. The manhunt soon grew to encompass most local law enforcement. Reportedly over 2,000 investigators worked on the case.
The investigation was initially kept secret. No official information about the murders was released, and local people were not warned about possible attacks or provided with descriptions of the suspects. However, rumors of the attacks kept most of the local population home at night. Eventually, investigators selectively distributed sketches and lists of stolen property to local pawn shops. Stolen property began to appear in the pawn shops of the city's Leninskiy district. The combination of the sketches and located stolen property led quickly to the suspects.
Several days later, on July 14, 45‑year-old Natalia Mamarchuk was riding her scooter in the nearby village of Diyovka. As she was passing through a wooded area, two men approached her and knocked her down. They then bludgeoned her to death with a hammer or pipe and drove off on her scooter. Local witnesses gave chase but lost sight of the attackers. Two local children also witnessed the attack from nearby, hidden in a tent just a few feet away. They provided a detailed description matching the one given by Lyakhov. A task force was quickly set up from Kiev, headed by lead criminal investigator Vasily Paskalov. The manhunt soon grew to encompass most local law enforcement. Reportedly over 2,000 investigators worked on the case.
The investigation was initially kept secret. No official information about the murders was released, and local people were not warned about possible attacks or provided with descriptions of the suspects. However, rumors of the attacks kept most of the local population home at night. Eventually, investigators selectively distributed sketches and lists of stolen property to local pawn shops. Stolen property began to appear in the pawn shops of the city's Leninskiy district. The combination of the sketches and located stolen property led quickly to the suspects.