In 1984, he graduated from a vocational school as a bricklayer, working odd jobs to make ends meet, and he lived in a run-down hostel.
On several occasions, he was convicted of embezzlement, and after one of his releases in 2000, the now-jobless Seleznev alternated between living in unlocked basements and homeless shelters.
Upon further investigation, the father of the missing landlord found a jacket with Seleznev's passport in it, as well as a bank card with the name of a man he didn't recognize.
He was brought back to the police station for questioning, and after several interrogations, he readily confessed that he had killed, dismembered and eaten the remains of three drinking companions he had encountered within the last two years.
[2] Due to the severity of his crimes, he was sent for a psychiatric examination, where he was determined to be sane and aware of his actions, in spite of his claims of hearing voices.
[4] Much to his surprise, he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in a special regime colony, as well as having to pay one million rubles in restitution to the victims' family members.