In the suburbs, investigators uncovered the unusual murder of a businessman: witnesses thought that the police were working

Vyacheslav Chumachenko is an ordinary Russian man. He served in the army, first as a conscript, then professionally, after his retirement he went into business. Beloved doctor wife, two daughters, in a word, a good average Russian family.

Chumachenko with two friends organized a company for organizing car washes. In addition, they rented land from the city to build buildings and then rent them out for commercial purposes. In principle, the enterprise itself stood firmly on its feet. But in 2018, the man began to understand that the profit from the activities of the office was meager, although he was counting on much more significant profits. Then he decided to roll up his sleeves to check financial discipline. The result was expected: the money flowed to the wrong place.

By the way, the wife of one of the co-founders of the company was the chief accountant and executive director of the company. But in such a situation, friendship is friendship, and tobacco is apart. And Chumachenko presented his companion with well-founded claims. Thus signing his own death warrant.

The chief accountant’s husband was removed from financial flows. He was offended. It would even be more correct to say: pissed off. He tried to challenge the decision of the co-founders in court, threats rained down on Chumachenko. Vyacheslav even made a video from the “please watch in case of my death” series – on camera he explained in detail who was threatening him, who should be looked for if something happened to him.

Unfortunately, the worst has happened.

Andrey Chapanov, deputy head of the First Directorate for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Moscow Region, tells.

“This crime has been planned for a very long time, since about October 2021. Chumachenko’s travel routes, his schedule, training schedule were tracked (he played tennis and visited the court weekly). The members of the criminal group purchased two cars specifically for the crime. Moreover, they were bought under a sale and purchase agreement, but for the purpose of secrecy, they were not officially re-registered. The first car was needed for surveillance. The second, the Dodge Caravan, in which the kidnapping was carried out, was specially selected for this occasion. The Dodge Caravan has elevator doors on both sides that open along the hull. Such machines are often used by special forces when a quick and sharp capture is needed. For this car, fake state signs were made from a duplicate of the same car, the same color. This was done in order to make it difficult to track the car on CCTV cameras. The criminals bought telephones to communicate with each other, and bought camouflage uniforms similar to the uniforms of special forces. In a word, we prepared thoroughly.

The action itself was scheduled for January 25, 2022, but everything happened on the 26th.

Why was the date changed?

– On January 25, for some reason, Chumachenko, having driven up to the house, did not get out of the car, but left again. Why? This we will probably never know. The next day, the kidnapping still took place. Moreover, the abduction was impudent, public, under the recording of video cameras from the store, everything is perfectly visible there, including the number of participants.

– How many were there?

– There are five people with the driver. Four were detained, the driver sat and waited.

– So, the merchant drove up to the house in his car, got out of the car …

– As soon as he opened the driver’s door to get out, the Dodge Caravan blocked the way to traffic, four members of the criminal group flew out of the cabin. They were in balaclavas, in black clothes … With cries of “Stop! The police are on the job!” (so as not to arouse suspicion among possible eyewitnesses) the invaders pulled Chumachenko out of the car. They immediately began to beat him, because he actively resisted, shouted and called for help. Passers-by saw the very fact of the capture, but thought that “the police were working,” and did not attach any importance to this.

— And who reported the kidnapping?

– The wife of the victim, who very quickly got her bearings. She was waiting for him for dinner, he called and said that he was coming to the house. Routine family tradition. And when, after half an hour, her husband not only did not appear, but also stopped picking up the phone, she realized that something had happened. I went out into the street, saw a car with an open door, an abandoned hat (it flew off at the time of the attack) and called the police.

Various versions were immediately put forward, including a staged abduction. This, unfortunately, happens in our world, in order to avoid responsibility for debts or with various love ups and downs. But when several days passed, and the criminals still did not demand any ransom, we began to understand that a crime more serious than kidnapping had been committed against Chumachenko – deprivation of life. On January 27, a criminal case was initiated on the kidnapping, and on February 1, already on the fact of the murder.

We quickly became convinced that the criminals were using a duplicate car. Why? Because the real car was in Moscow, in the parking lot. The car was out of order, stood under the video eye of the access intercom throughout the day on January 25–26, and a snow cap had already formed on it. In addition, we began to track the departure routes of the criminals’ car, and already along the way, where it still fell under the cameras, we began to find the victim’s belongings – his gloves, wallet …

– On the sidelines?

– On the roadway, on the side of the road. The wallet, by the way, with a driver’s license and credit cards was brought by a citizen who found them in the same area.

“Where did the path of the kidnappers lead?”

– In principle, exactly where we later found the body – the village of Shchapovo in New Moscow.

– Then they changed the numbers and the trace was lost?

“Yes, they drove about seven minutes after the kidnapping, drove into a private sector and changed registration plates.

– And by these new numbers it was impossible to calculate the car?

We didn’t install them, unfortunately. The criminals were so prepared that they knew where there were cameras along their route that recorded the speed of the car, and simply went around them.

– Did they try to trace the whereabouts of Chumachenko by phone?

– Yes, sure. The phone was turned off 20 minutes after the attack, and the last base tower was right in the area where they changed numbers.

– How did colleagues react to the disappearance of Chumachenko? Did they assist the investigation in the search?

“If we talk about the co-founder who eventually became the defendant, then he had an alibi at the time of the kidnapping. He was checked. “Polygraph” confirmed that the suspect is not a participant in the events, but is aware of them. However, there was still not enough evidence to bring charges. The second founder, who was friends with Chumachenko and is still on good terms with the family, was open to communication and immediately pointed to a partner: they say, “no one but him could.” We also worked out other contacts of the missing person and quickly realized that there was no other serious conflict that could lead to such actions as abduction and, possibly, murder.

How did you manage to find the evidence?

“We once again studied the identity of the suspect and said to ourselves: “Well, it’s impossible to prove his involvement, let’s try to see how he lives, breathes, and with whom he communicates.” They watched him for a long time and found that this person is engaged in illegal gambling activities under the guise of computer games. He organized a number of clubs, both in the Moscow region and in other regions.

Moreover, when we talked with him and asked him what he lives on, he even flaunted it. He said that he organized a business that brings a chic income, so what he, in our opinion, coveted, he does not need at all. And we finally understood what kind of business it is. It’s illegal gambling. They really earn fabulous sums within one month. Three types of activities bring such profit: arms trade, slot machines, drug trade. In August 2022, we decided to initiate a criminal case specifically for the “gamble”. This overflowed the cup of his patience. And just a few days later, he began to testify about the kidnapping and murder.

– Did you hand over all the participants yourself?

– Yes, he named a specific person who was the organizer, said that of the participants he knows only him. At first, the organizer was very cold with us, saying: “You can’t prove anything, don’t confirm anything,” but later he concluded a pre-trial agreement with the prosecutor and gave us all the participants in the attack and the burial place.

Was that in October 2022?

– Yes. In addition, this citizen informed us that in 2016 he committed the murder of another person who was reported missing. He showed where the body of this man, who died from gunshot wounds, was buried. But this crime has nothing to do with our case.

– And what are the organizers and perpetrators of the crime?

– They are former military personnel, all served in the Airborne Forces. Some have gone through “hot spots”, some are proficient in hand-to-hand combat, weapons. But in our case, weapons were not used – according to the testimony of the detainees, they strangled Chumachenko on the way to the burial place. Directly in the car with a pre-prepared rope.

Was the grave prepared in advance?

– Yes, and the body was hidden in a very sophisticated way. The grave was dug up, covered with lime from above so that hunting dogs would not smell it. The dog feels the cadaverous smell very well, and slaked lime absorbs it.

Who actually killed?

– Organizer.

And how much did it cost to perform?

– A million rubles were transferred immediately for the purchase of equipment, for training. And there was an agreement that in the future the share, part of which belonged to the victim, would be distributed among the five participants in the crime for a monthly profit from the activities of the company.

— What can you say about the customer of the murder? Where is he from?

Anton Serous, head of the First Directorate for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Moscow Region, enters the conversation.

– He is a native of Podolsk, he lived all the time in this city. He went in for sports, a candidate for master of sports in wrestling. His wife, by the way, is also prosecuted in the case of illegal gaming activities, she is under house arrest. And in total we have 16 people in custody. For the murder of 6, the rest – for the gambling business.

How were the other suspects arrested? Did they resist?

– One tried to escape, but thanks to the police he did not succeed. Initially, they all denied their involvement in the crime, but after face-to-face confrontations with the person who exposed them, three actively cooperate, one is still in denial.

What is happening with the company now? Does it function?

– Relatives who have entered into inheritance rights carry out its activities together with the third founder.

This case is classic in its own way, like from forensic textbooks. A common cause, discord between partners, greed, and as a result – a cruel crime in the style of the dashing 90s. With the only amendment that technical progress and the professionalism of investigators have stepped far forward in 30 years. So, it is better for unscrupulous and arrogant businessmen to think a hundred times before deciding to break the law.