Double Murder in Kipsala: 18-Year-Old Boy Killed a Nun and an Office Worker in Broad Daylight 0 12

The body of Leonida was found nearly two weeks later — on December 14, in the morning of the third Sunday of Advent. A local resident walking her dog discovered the body near the monastery. The brutality of the crime shocked the community — the woman was strangled and beaten with a stick on vital parts of her body.

Soon, the police received a report about another missing woman — office worker Lyudmila, born in 1958, who worked in the Kipsala area. The woman usually took a short walk during lunch, but this time she did not return to work. Colleagues, concerned about her health issues and the already reported news of the nun's murder, went searching for her.

About 400 meters from Lyudmila's workplace, near Matarozu Street, her body was discovered. The woman had a severe head injury, her clothes were torn, and her body was partially covered with rugs. And this murder occurred in broad daylight.

The State Police initiated a criminal process for murder under aggravating circumstances. Initially, the investigation had few leads; however, a crucial mistake by the murderer after the second crime changed that. A mobile phone, money, and documents were stolen from the murdered Lyudmila's handbag. A different SIM card was inserted into the phone, from which calls were made and messages were sent.

While checking the device, the police established that it contained a SIM card belonging to Kipsala resident Nikita. Just a few hours later, the Riga criminal police arrested him — the 18-year-old was taken from his bed at his residence just a few hundred meters from both crime scenes.

According to the indictment, on December 6, while intoxicated, the young man attacked the nun — he approached her from behind and dragged her into the bushes. There, he strangled the woman and beat her on the head and chest. On December 18, he similarly attacked Lyudmila — first asking for a cigarette, and after being refused, he approached from behind and dragged her into the bushes.

In court, it was revealed that Nikita's family sometimes went to the monastery for leftover food for their pets. However, the accused claimed he did not personally know the nun. Psychiatrists deemed him sane, identifying organic personality disorders that manifested in certain situations.

The court concluded that both crimes were committed for selfish motives, although the stolen items had little value. On his 20th birthday, Nikita received a sentence of life imprisonment for the murder of two women. In 2017, the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The murdered nun Leonida was known for her peacefulness and sincerity — she was always the first to come for prayers and helped others. Lyudmila was a mother of two sons and a grandmother who had begun building a house on a recently acquired plot.

Both crimes occurred in broad daylight in a residential area of Riga and raised questions in society for a long time — how could it happen that no one noticed anything.