The murderers of a couple and their four-year-old son in Chernihiv region have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

A former serviceman and two civilians were found guilty by the court of murdering a 28-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, and their four-year-old son. This was reported on Wednesday, January 8, by the Office of the Prosecutor General. The criminals killed the family in May 2023.

In court, prosecutors established that the criminal group was organized by the former serviceman, who recruited two civilians—a man and a woman. In May 2023, the ex-serviceman offered a friend from Kyiv to buy a car from him. To facilitate this, the criminal and the Kyiv resident agreed to meet at an abandoned gas station in Chernihiv region. Before the meeting, the criminals changed the license plates on the car and took a firearm and a shovel with them.

“The victim arrived there from Kyiv with his family—his wife and young son. Near a wooded area, they shot at the car with the entire family inside and seized their belongings. To conceal the traces of the crime, the convicted buried the bodies of the couple and their 4-year-old son nearby and set their vehicle on fire,” the statement reads.

The criminals stole $6,000 from the murdered family and divided the money among themselves.

During the selection of preventive measures in May 2023, the gang's organizer explained the crime by claiming he wanted to punish the Kyiv resident for allegedly robbing soldiers. He and another accomplice admitted their guilt, while their female accomplice stated that she was not present during the family’s murder.

The court has now found all three criminals guilty of intentional murder of two individuals and a minor, banditry, illegal handling of weapons, illegal seizure of a vehicle, and intentional destruction of property (Articles 115, 257, 263, 289, 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They were sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property, and they are also required to pay 30 million UAH in moral damages to the victims' relatives.

It is noted that law enforcement officials have not disclosed the names of the deceased, however, it was previously reported that the victims of the criminals were 30-year-old Mykola Cherevan, his 28-year-old wife Viktoriya, and their four-year-old son Bohdan. The bodies of the deceased were found buried 500 meters from the murder site.