Lenko Latkov (Bulgarian: Ленко Латков; 1975 – September 13, 2003) was a Bulgarian rapist, pedophile and serial killer, responsible for killing three elderly women in the Haskovo Province from 1999 to 2000, as well as several rapes. He was also suspected of another three similar murders in the Plovdiv Province.[1] Latkov was murdered prior to his trial by his cellmate Sami Bayram Aptullah (AKA Sali Abdullah), who was serving time for an attempted murder.[2]
Lenko Latkov | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975 |
| Died | (aged 28) |
| Cause of death | Strangulation |
| Conviction(s) | N/A |
| Criminal penalty | N/A |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3–6 |
Span of crimes | 1999–2000 |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| State(s) | Haskovo (confirmed) Plovdiv (suspected) |
Date apprehended | March 13, 2003 |
Biography
editLatkov's early life was marked by stays at various orphanages, soon to be followed by indictments for rapes in Veliko Tarnovo as an adolescent. The mentally-ill man was released despite the charges, only to be rearrested years later on March 13, 2003, for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old boy from a Haskovo bus stop.[3] Following a 5-hour long interrogation, he confessed to raping a 16-year-old girl in Veliko Tarnovo and the murder of three elderly women in the Haskovo Province:[3][2]
- Lilyana Ivanova (84), murdered in Haskovo, 1999
- Kaluda Golemanova, murdered in Lyubimets, 2000
- Elena Atanasova (71), passed away after brutal torture in Biser, 2000
Latkov was also a prime suspect in another three murders committed in the Plovdiv Province, but no information is available about these murders. Following his arrest, he was moved into a psychiatric hospital in Lovech.[1] There, ten days before his death, he wrote a letter to the investigating authorities in Haskovo in which he talked about his loneliness, his appreciation of their humane treatment towards him and a request for some cigarettes.[3]
Death
editAfter reevaluations from psychologists and investigators alike, Latkov was moved to a prison in Stara Zagora, where he shared a cell with Sami Bayram Aptullah, another mentally-ill prisoner serving an 8-year sentence for attempted murder. On September 13, the two began arguing about something, with the physically stronger Aptullah beating up and strangling Latkov in a matter of seconds. Shortly after, he began banging at his cell door, attracting the attention of guards and medical personnel who tried to save Latkov's life, but to no avail.[1] Following this event, Aptullah was moved into a solitary cell.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "ПРИОБЩАВАНЕТО НА ОСЪДЕНИТЕ КЪМ НОРМАЛНИЯ СВЯТ Е СКЪПО" [Integrating convicts with the normal world is expensive]. paragraph22 (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on April 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c Hristo Dimitrov (16 September 2003). "Осъден на 8 г. затвор пребил до смърт сериен убиец на жени" [Man sentenced to 8 years in jail beats to death serial killer of women]. sega.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on December 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Убиват сериен убиец в старозагорския затвор" [A serial killer was murdered in Stara Zagora jail]. news.bg (in Bulgarian). 14 September 2003. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024.