Episode 657: The Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs Part II - 3 Guys, 1 Hammer

In mid-2007, two 19-year-old Ukrainians, Igor Suprunyuk and Viktor Sayenko, escalated from animal torture and robberies to a killing spree in Dnipro (then Dnipropetrovsk), murdering 21 vulnerable people—mostly women, children, and the elderly—with claw hammers, screwdrivers, and sand-filled pipes. Known as the Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs, they filmed at least one full murder, "3 Guys 1 Hammer," which captured their giddy planning, attack, and mutilation of victim Sergei Yatsenko. A third associate, Alexander Hanzha, participated in robberies but not killings.

The "3 Guys 1 Hammer" Video

The 30-minute director's cut, shown in court, begins with Igor and Viktor waiting by their Daewoo car on July 12, 2007, balancing a phone for a wide shot. They discuss targeting weaker passersby for robbery and filming, joking about bloodstains on the car from prior victims and hoping for a sellable phone. Igor pulls a yellow plastic-wrapped claw hammer, strutting playfully.