Mieczysław Zub (10 October 1953 – 29 September 1985) was a Polish

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

who killed 4 women in

Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province ( pl, województwo śląskie ) is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centered on the historic region known as Upper Silesia ('), with Katowice serving as its capital. Despite the Silesian ...

. The

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

gave him the pseudonym Fantomas.

Murders

Mieczysław Zub committed 4 murders and 13 rapes at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. At the beginning of his criminal activity, Zub was a policeman by profession; he would wear his uniform while committing his crimes, which made him feel unpunished. He made his first robbery on 29 November 1977 in

Świętochłowice Świętochłowice (; german: Schwientochlowitz; szl, Świyntochłowice) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union metropolis, with a population of 2 million, a ...

. He dragged a 14-year-old into the forest on the pretext of explaining a misunderstanding. There he turned her over, laid down next to her and covered her mouth with his hand. Threatening her with a gun, he ordered the girl to undress. The police opened an investigation into the matter, but it did not lead to anything.WP Facet
''Mieczysław Zub – milicjant, mąż, ojciec, gwałciciel, morderca'' (in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

). 29 September 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2018. In the 1970s, he made several more attacks on women while disguised as a policeman, but he was soon dismissed for disciplinary offenses (which indicated doubts from his superiors towards Zub). After he was released, Zub did not commit any other crime for two years.Kryminalna Polska
''„Fantomas” – seryjny morderca w milicyjnym mundurze'' (in

). 29 March 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018. He returned to crime in September 1980 when he raped a young woman. A year later, he committed the first murder. On 19 November 1981, in

Ruda Śląska Ruda Śląska (formerly ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a district in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica River (t ...

, he raped and strangled a 19-year-old girl in her eighth month of pregnancy. Until the end of 1982, he murdered three more women. In March 1983, when he raped another victim he lost his pass, entitling him to enter the steelworks where he found a job. On March 8, 1983, Zub was detained and during the interrogation he confessed to all crimes.Onet Wiadomości
''Śląski szlak "Fantomasa"'' (in

). 2 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2018. During the trial, Zub repeatedly insulted the judges, every now and then the trial had to be interrupted when the accused had to be removed. He was convicted and

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. While his verdict was being read, Zub destroyed the accused's bench by kicking it. While in prison, Zub was aggressive towards his surroundings, forcing the prison authorities to put him in specially-designed shackles and keep him in solitary confinement at the

Montelupich Prison The Montelupich prison, so called from the street in which it is located, the ''ulica Montelupich'' ("street of the Montelupi family"),Ulica Montelupich or "street of the Montelupis" itself is named after the Montelupi manor house ( kamienica) loc ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

. On September 29, 1985, Zub committed suicide, a month after a previous unsuccessful attempt to kill himself. Zub's many years of impunity according to some press reports can be explained by the fact that the militia focused on tracking down another serial killer at the time - Joachim Knychała.

Zub's victims

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zub, Mieczysław 1953 births 1981 murders in Poland 1982 murders in Poland 1983 murders in Poland 1985 suicides 1980s murders in Poland Male serial killers People from Silesia Polish rapists Polish serial killers Prisoners sentenced to death by Poland Serial killers who committed suicide in prison custody Serial killers who worked in law enforcement Suicides in Poland

Murders

Zub's victims

See also

References