Balashikha Poisoner Gets Life Sentence

A court in the Moscow region on 24 July sentenced the «Balashikha poisoner» Artem Missyura to life imprisonment. The 27-year-old will go to a penal colony for the murder of two people, attempted murder, and fraud. Watch our video for more details on his story.

The resident of Balashikha, a town near Moscow, began a series of poisonings in 2024. Because of debts exceeding three million rubles, he planned to appropriate his family«s property. Missyura»s first victim was his girlfriend. On her, he tested poisons and dosages — assessing how different substances affect humans.

He mixed one of the most dangerous poisons into her cocktail. She survived but was on the brink of death — she suffered a stroke. While doctors fought for her life, Missyura took out loans in her name. He managed to obtain about 574,000 rubles from a bank.

In February of the same year, envying the success of his childhood friend, he decided to kill. He added poison to berry juice and gave it to his friend, who died in the hospital two days later.

But the maniac«s main goal was his grandmother»s inheritance. He decided to kill her and also his uncle, who was the first-line heir. From January to April, he added poison to their salt, medicines, and drinks. The elderly woman could not withstand it and died in April.

Missyura«s next victims were his own mother, her husband, and their little daughter. They were also in the line of inheritance. He began visiting them regularly with poisons, but the family survived.

He also attempted to kill his girlfriend«s brother. Missyura prepared a roll with poison and went to the garage where his intended victim was. But the man was there with a friend. The poisoner treated both to the tainted roll. Both survived thanks to the prompt medical assistance.

The «Balashikha poisoner» was caught in July 2024. He admitted his actions and repented during interrogations. In court, he asked not to be given life imprisonment and to apply all possible mitigating circumstances. But when the court sentenced him to life, he asked to be sent to the special military operation (SVO), according to Kommersant.

«I would like to offer my deepest, sincere apologies to all people who have suffered physically or mentally from my actions or inactions. Especially to those who have lost a dear, close person. I pray and hope that someday their emotional wounds will heal,» the killer said in court.

You can read more about the motives of the killer from Balashikha in our feature — «Serial poisoner from Balashikha».