Continuing our serial killer trail
Not many of the most notorious serial killers in history are women, but Irina Gaidamachuk more than earns her place on the grisly list.
An alcoholic from a young age, Gaidamachuk’s targets of choice were elderly women. The mother-of-two would knock on the doors of her victims and claim to be a social worker to gain access to their apartments. Once inside, she would kill them using a hammer or an axe before stealing their money. In some cases, she would start a fire on her way out to cover her tracks.
Gaidamachuk killed 17 women before a would-be victim managed to escape and give a description to the police. After she was caught, the killer said she had only carried out the crimes for the money. In some cases, the victim had as little as $20 for her to steal. She said she needed cash for alcohol after her husband tried to make her quit her drinking habit by cutting her off financially.
A lenient judge sparked outrage by only sentencing Irina Gaidamachuk to 20 years in prison, giving her a lighter punishment because she is a mother with dependent children.