[1] On his own account, the first murder happened "accidentally" when Nikolayev killed a drinking companion, (who also had a criminal history) during a fist fight.
Nikolaev has stated via later interview that it was not originally his intent to cannibalize his victims, but rather the idea occurred to him spontaneously while dismembering the first body.
Nikolayev distributed the flesh to acquaintances, and even went so far as to sell five kilograms (eleven pounds) at an open market, telling buyers that it was kangaroo meat.
The ruse was at last discovered when some people who ate the product Nikolayev procured as "Saiga trimmings" became suspicious of the taste and submitted it to a doctor.
He has stated that while he is generally against the idea of the death penalty, he would prefer it for himself, rather than continuing to live in prison for the duration of his life.