Andrei Chikatilo became one of the most infamous serial killers in history — but for years, authorities in the Soviet Union struggled to stop him.

Known as the Rostov Ripper and the Red Ripper, Chikatilo terrorized the Soviet Union throughout the 1970s, '80s, and early '90s, targeting women and children and ultimately confessing to more than 50 murders.

But this case isn't only disturbing because of the sheer number of victims. It's also the story of an investigation plagued by missed opportunities, false confessions, secrecy, and a Soviet system reluctant to acknowledge that a serial killer could even exist within its borders.

In this episode of Over My Dead Pod, we go back to Chikatilo's early life, the crimes that sparked one of the largest manhunts in Soviet hi ...