In the early 1990s, due to the social and economic turmoil brought on by the collapse of the USSR, the Gorbunov family experienced financial struggles.
By the mid-1990s, Gorbunov lost all interest in pursuing an education and turned to a life of crime, developing a drug addiction in the process.
[1] As victims, Gorbunov chose women aged 21 to 27, whom he contacted through newspaper advertisements in Iz Ruk v Ruki [ru] and Tumba.
During the course of the investigation, authorities quickly established that the perpetrator introduced himself as a potential buyer to the victims, most of whom posted advertisements for the sale of wedding dresses.
Eventually, law enforcement officials decided to post fake advertisements in order to lure the killer, and on 17 May 2005, Gorbunov was arrested when he met and attempted to attack an undercover police officer.
After his arrest, the officers seized a bag from Gorbunov, in which they found an issue of Tumba, a knife, a rope and payphone cards.