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The Russian Grannibal Lecter
The curious case of an old woman who killed 14 people, in 20 years without getting caught.
When someone is asked to describe a serial killer, they conjure up an image of a dark, giant hooded figure that would leap at them from the dark. Someone strong enough to overpower them, dark enough to blend in. However, time again, people are proven wrong with the history of serial killers that have been caught and analyzed. It could be anyone among us. Someone who can blend in easily in the crowd. A person who could look at their victims without standing out or alarming anyone. Someone who would not be noticed, suspected or pointed out — someone like Tamara Samsonova.
Unbelievable Blending in
Tamara Samsonova was your average Russian woman who had moved around a lot at a younger age. She was a part of hotel management and it was a mundane job. This not only made her blend in with the average crowd but also made her seem like just an unsuspecting spectator as time went past. Tamara lived a relatively normal life. She worked a job and came home to her husband. However, in 2005, she went to the police station to report her husband missing. She was distraught and wound up about it. The police never suspected her, owing to her frail, withered frame and deeply lined face, it was hard for them to consider it. She never heard of her husband again. That is till 2015.
An Evening in 2003
One could not describe Tamara as someone who was distraught over losing her husband. However, it was also hard to hold her at fault for simply giving up after his disappearance and making her way through what was left of her life. It would be hard to acknowledge that the minor support and protection Tamara would have felt having her husband around was gone in a world ruled by men. Already fending for herself, she started renting out a room in her house to get some company and earn a little…
