Kyriakos PAPAXRONIS

AKA "The Ogre of Drama"

Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Serial rapist
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders: 1981 - 1982
Date of arrest: March 13, 1982
Date of birth: September 20, 1960
Victims profile: Gr. Theocharidou / E. Papadopoulou / Anastasia Alexandridou
Method of murder: Stabbing
Location: Drama/Thessaloniki, Greece
Status: Sentenced to two life sentences plus 23 years in prison. Reduced to life imprisonment. Released in December 2004

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Kyriakos Papaxronis (Κυριάκος Παπαχρόνης) is a serial rapist and murderer, better know in Greece as "The Ogre of Drama" ("O Δράκος της Δράμας").

At the age of 19, whilst in the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, serving his military service in the city of Drama (northern Greece), Papachronis started commiting the crimes that eventually resulted in his apprehension on the 13th of March 1982 and his following imprisonment. He wore his military uniform during his crimes.

He himself has said that his negative feelings towards women and the need for revenge that fueled his crimes were caused by his first sexual encounter with a woman (a prostitute) when he was 14. She addressed him in an ironic way and questionned his masculinity. His first victim, in 1981, was also a prostitute who "made him finish quickly" and "told him he wasn't a normal man and that he was impotent", as he later told the Press.

He was convicted for the following:

Rape and murder of 2 women:

1. a prostitute named Gr. Theocharidou (Γρ. Θεοχαρίδου) on the 5th of September 1981 in the city of Drama (northern part of Greece, formerly known as Macedonia).

2. a 20 year-old student named Anastasia Alexandridou (Αναστασία Αλεξανδρίδου), on the 15th of August 1982, in the city of Thessaloniki.

Murdering a student named E. Papadopoulou (Ε. Παπαδοπούλου), on the 15th of January 1982 in Drama.

Attempted murder of M. Postiadou (Μ. Ποστιάδου) on the 20th of December 1981, in the city of Drama.

Attempted rape and murder of 5 more women:

1. 18 year-old Agoraste Teza (Αγοραστή Τέζα), in Drama.
2. 30 year-old nurse Vassiliki Lazaridou (Βασιλική Λαζαρίδου), in Drama.
3. 23 year-old D. Pechlivanidou (Δ. Πεχλιβανίδου), in Drama.
4. a prostitute, in the city of Ksanthi (northeastern Greece).
5. a woman, in Ksanthi.

He was also tried and convicted for 5 accounts of bombing (the Post Office and a bank in Ksanthi on the 12th of March 1982, a bank and a store in Kavala on the 13th of March 1982, and the entrance of Drama's military camp on the 16th of June 1982) and one account of arson (International Airport of Kavala).

His penalty was initially set to 2 life sentences and 23 years of incarceration, but later was reduced to life imprisonment. Finally, 22 years later, in 2004, he was released under restraining orders. He is currently living in rural Greece.

Information provided by Rea M.