St. Petersburg man arrested for murder of missing nine-year-old after days-long search

The body of a nine-year-old boy from St. Petersburg, who had been missing since late January, was found in a body of water in Russia’s Leningrad region after a suspect confessed to killing him, investigators said this week.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the child, Pavel Tifitulin, disappeared on January 30 after leaving his home; he reportedly told his parents he was going sledding. Investigators later determined that he got into a car with an unknown man. On February 2, police arrested the driver of that vehicle in the Pskov region. During questioning, the suspect admitted to killing the boy and told police where he had disposed of the body.

The following day, investigators charged the 38-year-old man with the murder of a minor, and a St. Petersburg court remanded him in custody. Officials say he met Pavel in a supermarket parking lot, persuaded him to get into the car, and later killed him.

Pavel had turned nine just a week before he disappeared. More than 200 volunteers took part in the search for him. His mother said the boy did not have a cell phone and usually returned home by early evening. She went to the police on the night of January 30 after searching unsuccessfully for him herself.

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A local outlet reported that Pavel often spent time near the supermarket where he was last seen, washing car headlights for small amounts of money, and that he did not attend school. According to the state news agency TASS, the family had been officially classified by social services as “at risk” since late 2025. Pavel’s mother was cited for failing to meet parental obligations, and his father had past convictions for theft and alcohol-related offenses.

The suspect was later identified as Pyotr Zhilkin, a construction foreman and small business owner who lived about 10 kilometers (about six miles) from where Pavel’s body was found. Zhilkin was previously married and has a daughter the same age as the victim. According to Russian breaking news channels on Telegram, he had prior convictions for theft and assault of a police officer in the Rostov region, where he previously lived, and he was active in far-right online communities. Investigators believe Zhilkin may have known Pavel before the killing.

The St. Petersburg-based outlet Fontanka, citing interrogation materials, reported that Zhilkin allegedly lured Pavel into the car with promises to buy him a present and later offered the boy money for sexual acts. According to Zhilkin’s account, Pavel at first agreed, but then refused and demanded money to remain silent, after which Zhilkin killed him.

After the killing, the suspect allegedly cleaned his car, spent the evening with a female acquaintance, and then fled to the Pskov region, where he was arrested. Fontanka reported that police seized a computer containing child sexual abuse material, which investigators are expected to examine as part of the case. Security officials also told state media that that investigators are checking the suspect for possible involvement in other crimes against minors. Local media reported that he may have attempted to lure other children into his vehicle in the same area.