Two men charged in brutal killings of elderly women in Šalčininkai district

Two young men with prior criminal records have been charged in connection with the robberies and killings of two elderly women in Lithuania’s Šalčininkai district, prosecutors announced Thursday, calling the crimes among the most shocking in decades.

Vilnius Regional Chief Prosecutor Justas Laucius told reporters that such “macabre crimes” had not been seen in the region since the mid-1990s. “As a prosecutor, I must say we haven’t encountered crimes like this since around 1996,” he stated.

The victims—a 92-year-old woman and another in her 80s—were targeted in separate incidents in 2025. In the first case, the 92-year-old’s home was set ablaze, and she died from smoke inhalation. The suspects stole 9,000 euros from the property. A second woman, aged 83, was beaten to death, with 2,500 euros taken from her home.

A third elderly woman, 84, survived an attack by feigning death. The assailants stole 40 euros from her before fleeing.

Both suspects have prior convictions for violence, theft, and drug-related offences. Their cases have now been referred to court.