Fake witch doctor axes man to death during black magic ritual

A husband from Astrakhan, Russia who turned to black magic to save his marriage ended up dead in the woods during a fake ritual.

Anton Shabanov wanted to woo his wife back, Lyuboven, 29, after she left him just less than a year after their wedding. He thought performing some witchcraft would help bring her back. He then enlisted the help of Nikolay Ivanov for help in performing a ritual that involves burying the couple's possessions in a forest near Astrakhan.

The 33-year-old victim had thought that he had hired a real witch doctor for help with the ritual. But the Russian Investigative Committee revealed that the 32-year-old Ivanov was actually a convicted fraudster.

During the said ritual, the two men engaged in an argument that turned deadly. According to the Daily Mail, Ivanov had mocked the ceremony and insulted Shabanov's wife "while digging a pit." An argument then followed which led to the murderer getting hold of an axe which he used to kill the victim.

Ivanov allegedly used the axe to strike Shabanov, who worked for energy giant Lukoil. He landed "multiple blows" on the victim's head and neck. The gruesome extent of his wounds killed the man on the spot. Fearing for his life and alarmed at what he had done, the perpetrator then covered the body with branches and escaped the scene.

Photos from the publication showed the scene of the crime which shows the branches and dead leaves where the body was found on the ground. The murder weapon was also retrieved on the scene.

The police were eventually able to track Ivanov and capture him. He ultimately pleaded guilty to the crime and confessed to killing Shabanov with the axe. The Privolzhsky District Court in Astrakhan sentenced him to nine and a half years in jail and ordered him to pay £20,700 in damages.

A friend of Shabanov expressed disbelief that he would turn to black magic to woo his wife back. The friend said that the couple is not divorced but had been living separately. The deceased was said to be upset at the outcome of his marriage and wanted desperately to win his wife back.