On the morning of September 28, 2014, Chicago police discovered the bodies of 34-year-old Caucasian female Ania Kosinska and her 7-year-old daughter, Victoria Kotlinski, in their home on the 3400 block of North Odell Avenue in the Dunning neighborhood. Both had suffered multiple stab and incise wounds, with the scene described as gruesome, including the deaths of the family's cat and dog.
The suspect, 35-year-old Maciej Kotlinski, who was Kosinska's live-in boyfriend and Victoria's father, was arrested later that day in Waukegan, Illinois. He had gone to his parents' home with his unharmed 3-year-old daughter and confessed to killing his girlfriend and older daughter. Waukegan police took him into custody after he was found with a knife to his throat.
In court, prosecutors detailed the severity of the attacks: Kosinska sustained seven stab wounds to her chest, an incise wound to her jaw, and defensive wounds on her hand and forearm. Victoria suffered five stab wounds to her back, a large incise wound to her neck, and contusions from being kicked in the head. Kotlinski was held without bond and ordered to be hospitalized while in custody.
Neighbors reported that the couple had frequent arguments, though there were no prior indications of violence. The motive behind the killings remains unclear, but Kotlinski's mental health issues, including acute psychosis and schizophrenia, were noted in court records.
