Iouri Mikhel
Soviet-born Serial Killers
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
California, United States
TIME PERIOD
October 2001 – January 2002
VICTIMS
5 confirmed
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel, Soviet-born American serial killers, were convicted for the kidnapping and murder of five individuals in California between October 2001 and January 2002. The duo, along with accomplices, demanded over $5.5 million in ransom from victims' families, ultimately receiving more than $1 million, while the victims were killed regardless of ransom payment. Their bodies were discovered weighted down and disposed of in New Melones Lake near Yosemite National Park. Both were sentenced to death on March 12, 2007, but their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment without parole by President Biden on December 23, 2024, following the denial of their final appeal in October 2019.
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel are believed to have operated as part of a larger criminal organization that engaged in kidnappings for ransom, targeting individuals with connections to wealth. Some speculate that their actions were influenced by their backgrounds in the Soviet Union, leading them to view kidnapping as a viable means of obtaining money. Additionally, there are theories that they may have had accomplices who assisted in the planning and execution of their crimes, although the extent of this involvement remains unclear.
The Crimes of Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel
Background
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Gherman Mikhel, both born in the Soviet Union, embarked on a sinister path upon their immigration to the United States. Kadamovas, born on October 22, 1966, in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Mikhel, born on April 9, 1965, in Leningrad, Russia, established themselves in the glamorous yet shadowy world of Los Angeles, California. Their homes in Sherman Oaks and Encino, respectively, were more than just residences; they were the epicenters of their criminal enterprises. Together, they operated a fish aquarium store, Designed Water World, on Ventura Boulevard, but their business dealings extended far beyond fish tanks.
The Murders
Meyer Muscatel
In October 2001, Kadamovas and Mikhel devised a plan to kidnap Meyer Muscatel, a 58-year-old real-estate developer. Mikhel, posing as a potential buyer, lured Muscatel to his Encino home. It was there that Muscatel met his brutal fate. Once inside, he was bound, handcuffed, and subjected to a vicious assault. His captors robbed him and interrogated him about his finances. When attempts to withdraw money from his account failed, they resorted to murder. Muscatel was injected with diphenhydramine and suffocated with a plastic bag. His lifeless body was transported to New Melones Lake, where it was discarded off Parrotts Ferry Bridge.
Rita Pekler
The duo's next victim was 39-year-old Rita Pekler, a financial advisor entangled in their web in December 2001. Pregnant at the time, Pekler was lured to Kadamovas' home under the guise of a business transaction. There, Mikhel and accomplices were waiting. Pekler was restrained and forced to contact her client, George Safiev, in a failed attempt to lure him as well. Her life ended in similar brutality; she was injected with diphenhydramine and strangled, her body discarded in the same reservoir as Muscatel's.
Alexander Umansky
Alexander Umansky, a 35-year-old automobile shop owner, fell victim next. In December 2001, Mikhel posed as a customer needing audio equipment installed, drawing Umansky into their trap. At Kadamovas’ house, Umansky was detained, his valuables taken, and his family extorted for ransom. Despite the family complying after FBI advice, Umansky's life was cruelly ended. After ransom was secured, he was suffocated and his body weighted and submerged in New Melones Lake.
Nick Kharabadze and George Safiev
In January 2002, Kadamovas and Mikhel turned their eyes on Safiev once more, using his business partner, Nick Kharabadze, as bait. Kharabadze was detained at their aquarium store, forced to lure Safiev into their hands. Both men were held captive, coerced into securing a $940,000 ransom. Once the money was confirmed, the two were led to their deaths at the reservoir, where they were suffocated and submerged.
Investigation
The grim discovery of Muscatel's body near Parrotts Ferry Bridge set off a chain of investigative events. An accomplice, fearing FBI scrutiny, confessed and led authorities to the other victims' remains. Wiretaps and cellphone data placed Kadamovas and Mikhel at the scene of each crime, and surveillance footage captured them withdrawing money with their victims' cards. Their homes yielded further damning evidence—ransom notes, weapons, and accounts of money laundering.
Trial and Sentencing
The trial of Kadamovas and Mikhel was a spectacle of justice, beginning with their indictment and the government's intent to pursue the death penalty. The trial, which began in July 2006, culminated in a January 2007 guilty verdict on all counts. On March 12, 2007, they were sentenced to death by U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian, who condemned the brutality of their crimes. Their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment without parole by President Joe Biden in December 2024.
Accomplices and Outcomes
Ainar Altmanis, involved in several kidnappings and murders, cooperated with authorities, receiving a reduced sentence of 23 years. Natalya Solovyeva, Kadamovas' girlfriend who lured victims, received a 15-year sentence after cooperation. Aleksejus Markovskis, who guarded victims, also cooperated and was sentenced to 12.5 years. Petro Krylov, another defendant, was sentenced to life without parole, his participation attributed to duress.
Kadamovas and Mikhel, now serving life sentences at USP Terre Haute, remain etched in the annals of crime as masterminds of a chilling spree of kidnappings and murders that exploited and extinguished lives with ruthless efficiency.
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First Kidnapping
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel kidnap Meyer Muscatel, a real estate developer.
Second Kidnapping
They abduct Rita Pekler, a financial advisor, while targeting her boss George Safiev.
Third Kidnapping
Alexander Umansky is kidnapped and held for ransom for three days.
Fourth and Fifth Kidnappings
Nick Kharabadze and George Safiev are kidnapped and held for ransom.
Arrests Made
FBI arrests Kadamovas and Mikhel after an accomplice cooperates with the investigation.
Guilty Verdict
Both men are found guilty on all counts related to the kidnappings and murders.
Sentenced to Death
Kadamovas and Mikhel are sentenced to death for their crimes.
Final Appeal Denied
The Ninth Circuit Court upholds the death sentences for Kadamovas and Mikhel.
Sentences Commuted
President Biden commutes the death sentences of Kadamovas and Mikhel to life imprisonment.
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel, Soviet-born American serial killers, were convicted for the kidnapping and murder of five individuals in California between October 2001 and January 2002. The duo, along with accomplices, demanded over $5.5 million in ransom from victims' families, ultimately receiving more than $1 million, while the victims were killed regardless of ransom payment. Their bodies were discovered weighted down and disposed of in New Melones Lake near Yosemite National Park. Both were sentenced to death on March 12, 2007, but their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment without parole by President Biden on December 23, 2024, following the denial of their final appeal in October 2019.
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel are believed to have operated as part of a larger criminal organization that engaged in kidnappings for ransom, targeting individuals with connections to wealth. Some speculate that their actions were influenced by their backgrounds in the Soviet Union, leading them to view kidnapping as a viable means of obtaining money. Additionally, there are theories that they may have had accomplices who assisted in the planning and execution of their crimes, although the extent of this involvement remains unclear.
The Crimes of Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel
Background
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Gherman Mikhel, both born in the Soviet Union, embarked on a sinister path upon their immigration to the United States. Kadamovas, born on October 22, 1966, in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Mikhel, born on April 9, 1965, in Leningrad, Russia, established themselves in the glamorous yet shadowy world of Los Angeles, California. Their homes in Sherman Oaks and Encino, respectively, were more than just residences; they were the epicenters of their criminal enterprises. Together, they operated a fish aquarium store, Designed Water World, on Ventura Boulevard, but their business dealings extended far beyond fish tanks.
The Murders
Meyer Muscatel
In October 2001, Kadamovas and Mikhel devised a plan to kidnap Meyer Muscatel, a 58-year-old real-estate developer. Mikhel, posing as a potential buyer, lured Muscatel to his Encino home. It was there that Muscatel met his brutal fate. Once inside, he was bound, handcuffed, and subjected to a vicious assault. His captors robbed him and interrogated him about his finances. When attempts to withdraw money from his account failed, they resorted to murder. Muscatel was injected with diphenhydramine and suffocated with a plastic bag. His lifeless body was transported to New Melones Lake, where it was discarded off Parrotts Ferry Bridge.
Rita Pekler
The duo's next victim was 39-year-old Rita Pekler, a financial advisor entangled in their web in December 2001. Pregnant at the time, Pekler was lured to Kadamovas' home under the guise of a business transaction. There, Mikhel and accomplices were waiting. Pekler was restrained and forced to contact her client, George Safiev, in a failed attempt to lure him as well. Her life ended in similar brutality; she was injected with diphenhydramine and strangled, her body discarded in the same reservoir as Muscatel's.
Alexander Umansky
Alexander Umansky, a 35-year-old automobile shop owner, fell victim next. In December 2001, Mikhel posed as a customer needing audio equipment installed, drawing Umansky into their trap. At Kadamovas’ house, Umansky was detained, his valuables taken, and his family extorted for ransom. Despite the family complying after FBI advice, Umansky's life was cruelly ended. After ransom was secured, he was suffocated and his body weighted and submerged in New Melones Lake.
Nick Kharabadze and George Safiev
In January 2002, Kadamovas and Mikhel turned their eyes on Safiev once more, using his business partner, Nick Kharabadze, as bait. Kharabadze was detained at their aquarium store, forced to lure Safiev into their hands. Both men were held captive, coerced into securing a $940,000 ransom. Once the money was confirmed, the two were led to their deaths at the reservoir, where they were suffocated and submerged.
Investigation
The grim discovery of Muscatel's body near Parrotts Ferry Bridge set off a chain of investigative events. An accomplice, fearing FBI scrutiny, confessed and led authorities to the other victims' remains. Wiretaps and cellphone data placed Kadamovas and Mikhel at the scene of each crime, and surveillance footage captured them withdrawing money with their victims' cards. Their homes yielded further damning evidence—ransom notes, weapons, and accounts of money laundering.
Trial and Sentencing
The trial of Kadamovas and Mikhel was a spectacle of justice, beginning with their indictment and the government's intent to pursue the death penalty. The trial, which began in July 2006, culminated in a January 2007 guilty verdict on all counts. On March 12, 2007, they were sentenced to death by U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian, who condemned the brutality of their crimes. Their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment without parole by President Joe Biden in December 2024.
Accomplices and Outcomes
Ainar Altmanis, involved in several kidnappings and murders, cooperated with authorities, receiving a reduced sentence of 23 years. Natalya Solovyeva, Kadamovas' girlfriend who lured victims, received a 15-year sentence after cooperation. Aleksejus Markovskis, who guarded victims, also cooperated and was sentenced to 12.5 years. Petro Krylov, another defendant, was sentenced to life without parole, his participation attributed to duress.
Kadamovas and Mikhel, now serving life sentences at USP Terre Haute, remain etched in the annals of crime as masterminds of a chilling spree of kidnappings and murders that exploited and extinguished lives with ruthless efficiency.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
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First Kidnapping
Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel kidnap Meyer Muscatel, a real estate developer.
Second Kidnapping
They abduct Rita Pekler, a financial advisor, while targeting her boss George Safiev.
Third Kidnapping
Alexander Umansky is kidnapped and held for ransom for three days.
Fourth and Fifth Kidnappings
Nick Kharabadze and George Safiev are kidnapped and held for ransom.
Arrests Made
FBI arrests Kadamovas and Mikhel after an accomplice cooperates with the investigation.
Guilty Verdict
Both men are found guilty on all counts related to the kidnappings and murders.
Sentenced to Death
Kadamovas and Mikhel are sentenced to death for their crimes.
Final Appeal Denied
The Ninth Circuit Court upholds the death sentences for Kadamovas and Mikhel.
Sentences Commuted
President Biden commutes the death sentences of Kadamovas and Mikhel to life imprisonment.