How a Crime Novel Solved a Murder: The Case of Dariusz Janiszewski

It began with a body. In December 2000, the remains of a missing man surfaced in the Oder River in southwestern Poland. Dariusz Janiszewski—a young entrepreneur who had vanished weeks earlier—was found floating in the river by three fishermen. He was bound by rope in a ‘reverse hog tie’ position with evidence that he’d been starved, tortured and then dumped in the icy river while he was still alive. The brutality of the murder left investigators stunned. But despite the shocking nature of the crime, the case quickly went cold. For three years, there were no suspects, no motive, and no answers—just a trail that led nowhere.

That is, until Detective Jacek Wroblewski felt an unshakable pull to reopen the case—and stumbled onto something bizarre.... a novel. A dark, unsettling piece of crime fiction that described a murder with eerie similarities to the unsolved death of Dariusz Janiszewski. The book’s author? Krystian Bala, a former PhD student with a warped fascination for nihilism and philosophy. Was this fiction mimicking life? Or was it a real-life murder disguised as literature?

The investigation proceeds to unfold like a psychological thriller, filled with disturbing clues, academic arrogance, and an intellectual game of cat and mouse. It was an investigation that brought together psychology, clues from a crime novel, and digital forensics.  

In this episode, we dive into one of the most bizarre and unsettling murders in modern European history—a story that blurs the line between art and evidence, and forces us to ask: what kind of person writes a story that may reveal the truth behind a real-life killing?

 

If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!

Want to recommend a wild case or just give us a 'hey!'? Contact us at [e-mail]

Buy Merch!: www.wildcidepodcast.com 

Updates on Instagram: @wildcidepodcast

Facebook: Wildcide Podcast

Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.

Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 

​WILDCIDE Podcast and any content posted is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. 

References:

Grann, D. (2008, February 11). True crime: A postmodern murder mystery. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/02/11/true-crime Struzińska, K. (2020). The murderer as writer, storyteller and protagonist: The case of Krystian Bala. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 33(2), 447–472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-020-09685-x