It was established that the man was killed by his 42-year-old roommate between 30 December 2014 and 15 January 2015. Grzegorz D. was charged with murder and has been remanded in custody at the prosecutor’s request.
The body was discovered by two neighbors of the deceased. It was quickly established that the murdered man had previously lived for about three years with a 41-year-old homeless man, also from Ścinawa. Both men abused alcohol, which often led to arguments and physical violence between them.
During one of the arguments, Grzegorz D. seized a knife and stabbed the victim twice in the chest. One of the blows pierced a lung, causing massive internal and external bleeding, which led to the victim’s death shortly thereafter.
Terrified by what he had done, Grzegorz D. hid his friend’s body in a sofa bed, covering it with garbage bags. After the murder, he would return to the apartment only for the night. He was usually drunk. He told acquaintances that the victim had gone to visit his brother.
D. was charged with murder. He confessed to committing the crime and gave a detailed explanation. He also took part in a crime-scene reconstruction, indicating how the crime had occurred. He claimed that the murder had taken place shortly before New Year’s Eve, which he spent alone. He also explained that the argument between him and the deceased had erupted because he had not brought alcohol home. The victim allegedly hit him with a wooden cane, which he usually used for support because of his disability. During the argument, D. grabbed a knife and stabbed the victim. He did not intend to kill his friend.
Terrified by what he had done, he hid the body and drank every day until his arrest. He deeply regrets what happened.
A forensic medical expert was unable to determine the exact date of death. Therefore, it was assumed that the crime took place between the end of December 2014—as the defendant claims—and 15 January 2015, when the deceased’s body was discovered.
Because the apartment was not heated and the temperature inside was low, it cannot be ruled out that the death actually occurred on the date indicated by Grzegorz D. It is also undisputed that between 8 and 13 January 2015, after taking the victim’s bank card, the defendant attempted nine times to withdraw money from his account or make contactless payments for products at a store with a total value exceeding PLN 450. However, he did not achieve his intended aim because the card had expired or there were insufficient funds in the account.
For murdering his friend with direct intent, Grzegorz D. faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, 25 years’ imprisonment or even life imprisonment. The case will be decided by the Regional Court in Legnica.
Liliana Łukasiewicz, press spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica/ii