The first reported murder attributed to Peter occurred in 1902, when a 9-year-old girl named Maria was abducted and killed in Moscow's Izmaylovo district. Her body was discovered several days later, bearing signs of extreme violence and mutilation. The investigation into Maria's death yielded few leads, and the case remained unsolved for years.

Over the next two decades, three more young girls fell victim to Peter's brutal attacks. In 1918, a 15-year-old girl named Tatyana was abducted and killed, her body discovered in a wooded area. Two more victims, a 12-year-old girl named Sofia and a 14-year-old girl named Anastasia, met their demise at Peter's hands in the early 1920s.

The Moscow Butcher case had a profound impact on the Russian public and the development of forensic science. The investigation highlighted the need for more sophisticated techniques in crime scene analysis and forensic identification. The case also led to changes in Russian law enforcement, with a greater emphasis placed on coordinating efforts between investigators and forensic experts.

What made Peter's crimes particularly heinous was his practice of boiling his victims' bodies after death. This gruesome act was likely intended to destroy evidence and conceal his crimes, but it ultimately became a distinctive aspect of his modus operandi (MO). The boiling process would leave the bodies disfigured and unrecognizable, making it difficult for investigators to identify the victims.

The legacy of Peter the Great serves as a grim reminder of the horrors that human beings can inflict upon one another. The brutal nature of his crimes and the seemingly random selection of his victims have captivated true crime enthusiasts and scholars for generations.

Pyotr Ogaryov, a 33-year-old man with a history of mental illness and violence, was revealed to be the perpetrator of the heinous crimes. His motivations remain unclear, but it is believed that he was driven by a twisted desire for control and domination.