Romulus Vereș
Romulus Vereș | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Romulus Vereș 23 January 1929 Cluj, Romania |
| Died | 13 December 1993 (aged 64) Ștei, Romania |
| Other names | The Man with the Hammer |
| Conviction | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Not guilty by reason of insanity |
| Details | |
| Victims | 5 |
Span of crimes | 11 September 1972 – 14 February 1974 |
| Country | Romania |
Date apprehended | 14 February 1974 |
Romulus Vereș (23 January 1929 in Cluj – 13 December 1993 in Ștei) was a notorious serial killer from Romania, known as "The Man with the Hammer".
During the 1970s, he was charged with five murders and several attempted murders, but never imprisoned on grounds of insanity; he had schizophrenia,[1] blaming the Devil for his actions. Instead, he was institutionalised in the Ștei psychiatric facility in 1976, following a three-year-long forensic investigation during which four thousand people were questioned.
Urban myths brought the number of victims up to 200 women, but the actual number was much smaller. This confusion probably is explained by the lack of attention this case received, despite its magnitude, in the Communist press of the time.[2]
Before Murders
Romulus Vereș was born on the 23rd of January 1929. He worked as a locomotive mechanic and got married at 19 years old to his first wife, which whom he had a son. They divorced after 6 years, and he remarried immediately after. His second marriage lasted 4 years, with his second wife later accusing him of verbal abuse and physical abuse.[3]
Murders
Between 1972 and 1974, he attacked 8 women and girls, of whom 3 died, and was convicted only of 5. He attacked victims by hitting them with a hammer, iron bar or anything similar. He didn't have a clear Modus Operandi, as some victims were attacked in public and some in their own home, some victims were raped, and he also stole some valuable items from some victims.
Chronologically, his victims were:
- Cornelia Vaida, 25, killed and thrown in a river on the night of September 11, 1972.
- Ibolya Covaci, 15, attacked in her own house on October 7, 1972, survived.
- Maria Mărgineanu, 35, attacked in her own house while pregnant on October 16, 1972, survived
- Ana Valentina Florea, 8, attacked in her own house and raped on December 5, 1972, survived.
- Ana Biro, 48, attacked in a store on December 12, 1972, survived.
- Ileana Olteanu, 46, attacked in an apartment complex on December 12, 1972, survived.
- Aurelia Ciulea, 16, killed and raped in her own home on December 16, 1972
- Ilona Szilagy, 68, killed on January 14, 1974. [3] [4] [5]
Arrest and Conviction
He was arrested on the 26th of February, 1974, 12 days after he killed his last victim. While in custody, he claimed to be controlled by two devils, which he called Bere (Romanian word for beer) and Puiu (Romanian word for chicken). Doctors noted he was an extremely dangerous criminal, as he couldn't remember when he attacked or killed his victims, and he was convicted to life in a mental institution, dying there on the 13th of December, 1993.[3][4]
See also
Notes
- ^ Killers, Serial. "Serial Killer Romulus VERES | The Man with the Hammer". www.serialkillercalendar.com. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Citește povestea celui mai temut criminal al Clujului: "Omul cu ciocanul"" (in Romanian). Clujeanul. 17 February 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
- ^ a b c Oprea, Adriana (20 July 2024). "„Omul cu ciocanul", criminalul care a terorizat Clujul, scăpat de pedeapsa cu moartea de amante, de caietele sale şi de greşelile Miliţiei". Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ a b "„Omul cu ciocanul". Criminalul care a îngrozit Clujul: ucidea şi viola femeile. Dădea vina pe diavol". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 10 March 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ Penes, Gabriel (10 September 2010). "El e criminalul care a îngrozit Clujul". Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 18 February 2026.