Students dug up a woman's corpse, severed its head and boiled it so they could use the skull as an ash tray... and sliced off her fingers to use as 'fortune telling runes'

• Russian women, 18 and 20, and a man, 19, admitted to robbing a grave
• Student vets dug up body of woman, 84, and cut off head and fingers
• Group then boiled the severed body parts in their university dormitory 
• Told police they intended to use the head 'on display or as an ash tray' 

Three Russian university students dug up the corpse of an elderly woman and severed her head with a spade in order to turn it into an ash tray. 

Anastasiya Burlakova, 20, Natalia Ovcharova, 18, and Konstantin Zadvinsky, 19, admitted to robbing the grave of an 84-year-old woman in Novocherkassk, south-west Russia last year.

The trio, all studying to become veterinarians, then brought the corpse back to their college dormitory where they cut off the head and fingers and boiled the remains.

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Macabre: Anastasiya Burlakova, 20, pictured, and her two friends Natalia Ovcharova, 18, and Konstantin Zadvinsky, 19, admitted to digging up the corpse of an 84-year-old woman in Novocherkassk, Russia

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Disturbing: Miss Burlakova, seen posing for pictures on social media, told police that the trio had taken the skull in order to 'keep it on display, or make an ash-tray'

Despite confessing to the crimes, the three trainee veterinarians walked free from court in Novocherkassk and will be allowed to continue their studies.

The family of the unnamed woman, who had died in January 2014, has expressed outrage at the 'soft' three year suspended jail sentences imposed by a judge.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3263043/Students-dug-woman-s-corpse-severed-head-boiled-use-skull-ash-tray-sliced-fingers-use-fortune-telling-runes.html#ixzz3oV01ir9a
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Miss Burlakova and classmates Mr Zadvinsky and Miss Ovcharova, dug up the body from the local cemetery in November last year.

The trio brought the remains back to their hostel, cutting off the head and fingers, which they intended to use as fortune telling runes.

They boiled the head, and stashed the rest of the corpse under a bed.

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Admission: Mr Zadvinsky, left, admitted to severing the woman's head with a spade after which he, Miss Ovcharova, right, and Miss Burlakova returned to their college dorms where they boiled the skull and fingers

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The three student veterinarians walked free from court after getting support from their college lecturers, but the family of the woman whose grave they robbed (pictured centre) are demanding compensation

All three confessed that they were deeply interested in black magic and mysterious things.

Fellow students reported an unpleasant smell from the room in the dormitory block and called police, leading to the discovery of the corpse.

Miss Burlakova told police in her interrogation: 'We wanted to get a human skull.'

Asked why, she said: 'Either just to keep it on display, or to make an ash-tray.'

Mr Zadvinsky said: 'We dug the grave and cut off the head and fingers... to make an ashtray.'

A police source said the male student used a spade to sever the head.

'He confessed that he was scared of god when doing all this so he was praying in his mind while he went about it,' he said.

The source added that 'the parents of all students were in deep shock and stress'.

A police source also said that Mr Zadvinsky confessed to an interest in ancient German religion, and he needed runes for fortune telling.

He liked to spend time at the city cemetery 'to calm him down'.

Miss Burlakova confessed that she liked going to the cemetery while Miss Ovcharova admitted she slept near graves with her friends.

The students were spared jail because they had no criminal records.

Their teachers at the veterinary department of Novocherkassk College of Industrial Technologies and Management gave them positive references.

The judge also noted they had cooperated with investigators.

Relatives of the unnamed dead woman are shocked and have submitted a claim for 'moral damages' and launched an appeal seeking 900,000 roubles compensation - £9,400

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3263043/Students-dug-woman-s-corpse-severed-head-boiled-use-skull-ash-tray-sliced-fingers-use-fortune-telling-runes.html#ixzz3oV0Zbkeh
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