Russia's "chessboard killer" given life in prison

By James Kilner

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's "chessboard murderer" was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for killing 48 people, after the supermarket worker told a court last week he felt like God as he decided whether his victims should live or die.

The 33-year-old Alexander Pichushkin stood with his head bowed inside a glass cage in the courtroom as the judge, Vladimir Usov, read out the sentence.

Asked if he understood, Pichushkin without lifting his head replied: "I'm not deaf. I understood."

Pichushkin was given his nickname by the Russian media because he told detectives in a confession that he had hoped to put a coin on every square of a 64-square chessboard for each of his victims.

He is Russia's deadliest serial killer since Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted in 1992 and executed for killing more than 50 people. Russia is now observing a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty.

Room number 507 at the Moscow City Courthouse in the suburbs of the Russian capital overflowed with journalists, television cameras, police officers and some of the relatives of Pichushkin's victims.

Some struggled to catch sight of their loved ones' killer. About 20 relatives of his victims, including many elderly mothers, listened intently to the judgment, fighting back tears.

One young woman, who appeared to be in her late 20s, stared directly at Pichushkin with red, tear-stained eyes. Pichushkin kept his eyes fixed on the floor.