Two self-proclaimed Satanists killed a man they found sleeping in a cemetery and carved a swastika into his head to pass the blame onto neo-Nazis, the Investigative Committee said Wednesday in a statement announcing the completion of the investigation into the May 2012 incident.
The two suspects, an 18-year-old student and his 21-year-old convicted-felon friend, are accused of beating the man with homemade nunchuks and then stabbing him 28 times. Police said the attack was performed in recognition of Walpurgis Night, a witching celebration in Northern and Eastern Europe exactly six months from Halloween.
After the suspects were detained, investigators found that the younger one had been involved in the 2010 killing of a robbery accomplice who cooperated with police. In that case, investigators say, the suspect severed the victim's head and buried the body in an anthill, only to disinter the body to perform an occult ritual with his friend in April 2012.
Both suspects have been charged with desecrating a corpse and willfully inflicting bodily harm causing death. The former charge carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison, and the latter — 15 years. The older suspect was found to have a mental disorder, and a court will soon issue a decision on the compulsory treatment of his mental illness.
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