The police and prosecution knew almost immediately who was behind the incident that occurred on June 17, 2004, in the woods near the village of Wodzierady. This village is located about 25 kilometers from Łódź. It was there that the fire brigade and other services found a completely destroyed Seat car and a woman with severe burns.
"We were alerted by a driver from nearby Józefów who passed by the burning vehicle," recalled firefighter Jarosław Łukomiak, as cited by the portal lodz.naszemiasto.pl. It appears that this same man was the key witness that led to Gabriel’s incarceration.
A Tale of Conversion Behind Bars
This is an incredibly intriguing yet painful story of a man sentenced to life imprisonment. This autobiography is also a testament to conversion, a beautiful proof that God's grace works wherever a person opens their heart, even prison walls are not an obstacle to finding the Prince of Peace
- reads the cover of the book written by Gabriel Sz. He wrote it in prison, along with two other books and 11 collections of poetry, reports the portal NaTemat.pl.
He Bought a Polonez and Removed the License Plates. He Took a Welding Mask to the Crime Scene
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Łask claims that Sz. had everything planned down to the minute. On the fateful day, he told his wife that he was interested in buying a plot of land for a property. He arranged for them to go together to view it. He chose a road from Wodzierady to Leśnica as the crime scene.
Earlier, he informed his employees that he would not be at the office that day because he was going to a trade fair in Poznań. He also found a car sale ad.
"Eliza’s husband bought a Polonez truck under a false name for a thousand zlotys" - revealed the police officers handling the case, as cited by the portal crime.pl. The purchase was made on June 16, evidenced by the agreement prepared at that time. However, the data on the document were forged.
It was in this car that Gabriel waited for his wife’s arrival. The Polonez had its license plates removed. As soon as Eliza arrived at the designated time, he followed her and then forced her off the road. Her car crashed into a roadside tree, but she did not die immediately. Gabriel took a gas and gasoline canister from his car and set her vehicle on fire with her inside.
The circumstances of the accident were described in detail to the prosecutor by a witness who was at the scene on the day of the tragedy. This witness, a friend of Gabriel Sz., was there at Gabriel’s request. According to media reports, he admitted to the prosecutor that he intended to help Sz. defraud insurance money. Sz. had arranged for his friend to provide an alibi and drive him home afterward. It is unclear what happened after the Seat was set on fire with Eliza inside, as the witness fled the scene fearing for his life.
When the fire brigade arrived, Eliza Sz. was still alive.
When we started extinguishing the fire, we didn’t know if anyone was inside because the flames obscured visibility. Even the nearby trees caught fire. After a while, we saw a woman lying on the other side of the ditch. She asked us not to pour water on her. We covered her with a uniform. She kept calling, 'Where is my husband? Where is my husband?'
- said firefighter Jarosław Łukomiak.
Save my husband. He’s in the car
- were the desperate cries of his wife as recalled by Gabriel Sz.
Investigators determined that after setting the fire, Gabriel Sz. fled deeper into the forest. He reached a road where he encountered a driver whom he asked for a ride. The firefighters testified that he arrived at the accident scene about 20 minutes after they did. He told investigators that he had not fled but had gone into the forest to seek help. To prove this, he showed burns on his body.
"He had burns on his face, even though he used a welding mask to protect it. He assumed the fire would be quite large due to the flammable liquid," said Deputy Commander of the Łask District Police, Krzysztof Dąbrowski.
Sz. claimed he was a participant in the accident, assuring that he was in the car with his wife and that the perpetrator fled in another vehicle.
Gabriel Sz. Called His Wife "Flower." No One Could Believe What Had Happened
Gabriel and Eliza Sz. were considered a very happy couple.
He was very kind, polite, and courteous to us and our friends. We had a very good opinion of him
- said Eliza’s father in the TV program "Uwaga!".
We attended premarital classes together. It seemed that this couple really loved each other. He almost carried her on his hands. He was always close by, anticipating and fulfilling her every wish. I remember he always called Eliza 'Flower,' and she called him 'Bear'
- recalled Eliza’s friend.
Everyone found it hard to believe what happened on June 17, 2004. While Eliza was in the hospital, her family also visited Gabriel.
We didn’t inform him about Eliza’s condition to spare him the anguish because we sympathized with him. We were on the same team – someone caused the accident, and they were the victims
- recounted Eliza’s father. Eliza Sz. died on July 6, 2004. Gabriel Sz. organized her funeral. He was arrested six days later.
The case is exceptional because the accused executed a film-like scenario. This is more suited for a movie than real life. Neither I nor my colleagues have encountered such a meticulously planned murder with such motives
- said attorney Jarosław Rojek, the family’s representative in court.
The evidence and witness testimonies left no doubt that Gabriel Sz. committed the crime. According to media reports, experts ruled out the possibility of the car catching fire spontaneously. Additionally, it was revealed that Sz. did not wait to claim the insurance money for his wife’s death. He allegedly filed for the payout on the day of her funeral. Onet reported that the amount in question was 580,000 zlotys. Investigators found that shortly before the murder, Gabriel had also taken out additional insurance on Eliza without informing her.
The prosecution charged Gabriel Sz. with murder with particular cruelty. He pleaded not guilty. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Sz.’s defense appealed the verdict, but every instance upheld the sentence until the case reached the Supreme Court, which overturned the verdict regarding the legal qualification. A new trial was required, but the court upheld the life sentence. The verdict became final in October 2011. Neither Gabriel Sz. nor his lawyer attended the hearing, as reported by "Dziennik Łódzki".
Confession of the Convicted: "That Would Be the Best Proof of How Crazy I Was"
Gabriel Sz. is now 50 years old and remains in prison. For several years, he claims to have experienced a conversion. He describes how he seeks to make amends for the harm he caused in his books and poetry collections.
"In the book, he writes about the Pompeii novena, Father Charbel and his relics, and his love for Jesus. He describes how this transformation occurred in him and how he prays daily. Also, for his wife, whom he murdered, and for his in-laws, from whom he took their beloved daughter, and to whom, since his arrest, he admits, he has not even apologized," recounts journalist Tomasz Ławnicki from NaTemat.pl, who had the opportunity to speak with the inmate in 2021.
It has been nearly 20 years since Sz. took his wife’s life. Only now does he openly admit that it was murder.
I lied to myself for nine years
- he concluded. However, he maintains that he did not do it for money.
I’m sorry. I apologize and ask for forgiveness. (…) I just went crazy. I can’t explain it. Every explanation is pathetic. (…) I don’t know why I did it. I definitely didn’t do it for money
- he said in his conversation with Ławnicki.
He added that the gas he used to burn the Seat was bought for himself and his wife. He repeatedly stated that he could not understand why he acted that way.
I can’t comprehend it. It was chaos, some depression. The psychologist I went to for therapy in January and February 2004... I wish she could show that something was wrong with me. I haven’t had contact with her to this day. That would be the best proof of how crazy I was
- he continued.
Gabriel Sz. claims he planned to die in that accident along with his wife.
I don’t know why Eliza didn’t identify me as the perpetrator. She knew it was me. I got out of the Polonez, opened the Seat, and got in. We started arguing. I poured it on her first, then on myself, and set it on fire. To this day, the prosecution doesn’t believe I was in the Seat
- he said.
Gabriel Sz. can apply for conditional release after 30 years. He asserts that he is already ready for a second chance from society.
Recently, an 80-page request was submitted to the President for clemency. It contained 12 requests, supported by trustworthy individuals, both clerical and civilian. These are people who see that I am ready to be released and vouch for it to the President
- he said.
Eliza Sz. was 28 years old when she died.
