Agnieszka K. was a pretty, slender blonde. She obtained her education at the Higher Pedagogical School in Kraków and followed in her parents' footsteps, who were educators—her father, Antoni P., was the director of a vocational school complex, and her mother, Henryka P., taught geography at another institution. Agnieszka taught French at a high school in Sandomierz, in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, where she also lived. She would return to her family home in Szydłowiec, in Mazovia, for holidays, weekends, or vacations. Her younger brother, Marcin P., worked as an ambulance driver and was well-liked by his colleagues. The neighbors respected the family and congratulated them on their children and social standing. The parents demanded obedience and exemplary grades from their children, fearing any scandal. Disobedience was met with beatings and being locked in the basement. A neighbor admitted years later that she had seen Agnieszka, as a child, leading her drunk father home on multiple occasions.
Murder in Szydłowiec. The Body of 35-Year-Old Agnieszka Was Found Near a Car. Her Hands Were Folded as If in Prayer
On the night of August 24, 1994, a farmer walking along the road from Sandomierz to Opatów in Okalina noticed a red Fiat 126p. Near the car, in the grass, lay a young woman. What caught the man's eye was that she was dressed formally, and her hands were folded as if in prayer and clasped around a rosary. The woman had a swollen face, a bloated body, and deep burn marks and bruises on her neck and hands.
Investigators quickly determined that this was not a suicide, but a murder. The injuries indicated that Agnieszka K. had been tortured before her death. It was also established that the victim was 35-year-old Agnieszka K., who often traveled this route to visit her parents in Szydłowiec. The woman left behind a 10-year-old daughter, Ewa, whom she raised alone—her ex-husband Leszek lived permanently in Canada, but they had a good relationship, and Ewa often visited her father. The girl was supposed to return to the country five days after her mother's body was found. When Leszek learned of Agnieszka's death, he kept their daughter in Canada.
The parents, upon hearing of their daughter's death, screamed so loudly that they were heard several houses away. Crowds of people from Szydłowiec, neighboring villages, and Sandomierz attended the funeral of the 35-year-old. Although the parents were visibly distressed during the ceremony, Marcin's noticeable calmness as he approached to kiss the coffin caught attention. Many also noticed the unusual inscription on Agnieszka's gravestone. The initial version on the grave read: "Mgr Agnieszka K. is farewelled by her daughter - Ewunia." Later, it was changed to: "Beloved mother - daughter." The absence of any words from the parents and brother puzzled the neighbors, especially since the family changed the flowers at the cemetery daily. "So people could see," commented one of Agnieszka's friends.
After the divorce from her husband, Agnieszka began to struggle with alcohol abuse. Her parents considered her the "disgrace of the family" The investigation into Agnieszka K.'s murder lasted a year. During this time, nearly 400 people who knew the victim were questioned. It was revealed that Agnieszka abused alcohol and led a "fairly liberal lifestyle." Due to her drinking, she received warnings until she was eventually fired from her job. She was set to start working at another school in the new academic year. According to "Wyborcza," the case even considered a possible link to the Russian mafia, but it was difficult to find a motive for the murder of the well-liked 35-year-old. Rape and robbery were ruled out, leading investigators to focus on Agnieszka's closest family.
Friends of the deceased admitted that there were quarrels within the P. family, but they were discreet enough that the neighbors never saw or heard anything alarming. The women added that Agnieszka was the "apple of her parents' eye," which allegedly sparked jealousy in Marcin. According to the authors of the podcast "Historia na Faktach," the siblings often argued. Agnieszka seemed to come alive when she met her husband during her studies and moved out of the family home. Despite this, her parents still wanted to control her. Unfortunately, after a few years, Agnieszka's marriage began to fall apart when her husband left to work abroad. After the divorce, Agnieszka moved into an apartment in Sandomierz with her daughter. Her devout parents, of course, disapproved of the dissolution of the marriage and Agnieszka's desire to see other men.
Her brother then began to consider himself the example—he had a wife and daughter, and divorce was not an option. Friends recalled that he could also behave disturbingly. "If something didn't go his way, Marcin would say that he would grab a Kalashnikov and kill everyone: the poor, baby-makers, thieves, drunks, and slackers," said one of the women who worked with Marcin in the ambulance service.
The cheerful and outgoing woman did not shy away from parties. She admitted to her friends that she abused alcohol but wanted to seek treatment. She confided that her parents would drop by her apartment for inspections—if they found her drunk, instead of trying to help, they would only attack her. The P. family tells a different story, claiming that they encouraged Agnieszka to give up alcohol, showing their support by buying her a car and paying her bills. Over time, they came to regard her as a "disgrace" rather than a source of pride and began to threaten her.
After Killing His Sister, the Brother Went to Work. The Parents Covered Up the Crime and Dressed Their Daughter in Elegant Clothes
In October 1995, the prosecutor's office arrested 34-year-old Marcin P. for the murder of his sister. The man was outraged, but eventually, he confessed. A week later, the police arrested Agnieszka's father, Antoni P. During this time, her mother, Henryka P., attempted suicide but was saved. She was also charged. Investigators determined that Marcin killed his sister with the approval of his parents, and even with their assistance. During the trial, held in Tarnobrzeg, Agnieszka's parents and brother showed no emotions and even stated that the 35-year-old "received the punishment she deserved" for what she had done with her life and for allegedly "tarnishing the good name of the family."
After several months of questioning and a few reconstructions of the crime, it was established how Agnieszka K. was likely murdered. After being fired from her job, she decided that she needed to undergo therapy and stop drinking. However, Marcin P. did not believe she would change and began to physically abuse her—two weeks before the murder, he beat Agnieszka so severely that he broke her rib. The day before the murder, he accused her of lying to the family and continuing to drink.
Investigators found that on August 24 at six in the morning, Marcin entered Agnieszka's room and waited for her to wake up. He then told his sister that she was behaving inappropriately and began beating her in the face. Agnieszka started screaming and calling for her parents to help, but they did not respond. Marcin became increasingly aggressive, tied his sister's hands, laid her face down on the carpet, and repeatedly slammed her head into the floor. He then placed a cable noose around her neck and tightened it. After a few minutes, the 35-year-old stopped breathing.
After it was over, the parents entered the room and began covering up the crime. Antoni P. electrocuted his daughter's body multiple times, later saying that "it didn't matter to her anymore," and he didn't want to lose his son. Together with him, they planned how to dispose of Agnieszka's body. After killing his sister, Marcin went to work, while his parents cleaned up the room and dressed their daughter in a white shirt and a dark skirt. In the evening, the parents helped Marcin move their daughter's body to the trunk of a Polonez. Marcin drove in Agnieszka's Fiat. They drove out of town, where they abandoned the 35-year-old's body and car. They returned home together in the Polonez, stopping at an inn for dinner along the way. According to "Wyborcza," just half an hour after abandoning the body, a passerby stumbled upon Agnieszka's remains.
"The determination to shift suspicion away from the son unleashed an unimaginable and incomprehensible level of sadism in him. The daughter was already dead, but she was still his child! Polish criminology knows few cases like this. By defiling his daughter's body, the man sought to divert all suspicion from his son. (...) Psychology tells us that this is how professional killers operate, but it turns out it's not just professionals," said former police officer Anna Zielińska-Brudek in an interview with Onet.
Father Felt No Remorse. "In the Morning, Henia and I Thought It Was Just the Usual Beating, as Always" Anna Zielińska-Brudek, along with journalist Iwona Rojek from "Echo dnia," went to Szydłowiec to interview the family. Only Antoni P. agreed to answer their questions—this was before the verdict. What did he say about his daughter's murder? The man admitted that he thought about this nightmare all the time and wanted it to end. He added that the investigators "want to torment him." When asked if he believed in God, he replied that God exists and "one day His hand will fall on those who ruined him because he is innocent."
When reminded that God says in one of the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill," Agnieszka's father had a surprising response. "There was no other way. It's all in the heat of the moment, you don't know what you're doing, emotions. I made the decision to cover up the matter, I wanted to save my son. It's very unfortunate that this all came out, it's a tragedy for us," he continued, referring not to the murder of his daughter but to the fact that the investigators had discovered who killed her. Antoni P. further added that he felt no remorse because "nothing could be changed anymore" and wondered why "it's so hard to understand."
The police officer and journalist were horrified that he continued to speak ill of his daughter, whom they had controlled and "trained." The man believed they did it "for her own good because she drank and behaved immorally." He said that "in the morning, Henia and I thought it was just the usual beating, as always" and "who could have known" that the brother would kill his sister. He ended by emphasizing that he was a good father, husband, and teacher. When asked if it was contradictory to say that after killing Agnieszka, he responded: "It suddenly came to us that we had to get rid of her. You have to know the reasons, to experience such a tragedy. You don't understand anything. There are many murders. Anyone can be killed." Similar brutality emanates from Agnieszka's mother. In 1996, in an interview with "Wyborcza," Henryka stated that her daughter "first destroyed herself, then us, and finally Marcin."
Prison Sentences for the Entire Family. Marcin P. is Currently Free During the trial, Antoni P. blamed his daughter for the crime, claiming she "ruined the family's positive image." Marcin P. was convicted of severe battery and the murder of his sister, as well as obstructing the investigation—initially sentenced to 25 years in prison; the court later reduced the sentence to 15 years. The father was convicted of failing to provide assistance and obstructing the investigation and sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The same charges were brought against 67-year-old Henryka P., who was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years. Antoni P. was released after a few months due to his health condition. Marcin P. spent eight years in a single-cell and is currently free.
