Jurijus Kadamovas

Serial Killer

Jurijus Kadamovas and the New Melones Reservoir Murders

A Kidnapping Conspiracy Built Around Ransom and Murder

Jurijus Kadamovas was a Lithuanian-born criminal who became one of the central figures in a calculated series of kidnappings and murders committed in California between October 2001 and January 2002. Working closely with Russian-born Iouri Mikhel and several accomplices, Kadamovas targeted people they believed had access to significant amounts of money. The victims were lured into homes or businesses through false offers involving real estate, automobile work, social meetings or business opportunities. Once the victims arrived, they were restrained, questioned about their finances and forced to help the kidnappers obtain money from relatives or business associates. The conspiracy was not simply an effort to collect ransom. Evidence presented in federal court showed that Kadamovas and Mikhel intended to kill their captives whether or not the demanded money was paid. The victims were held in Kadamovas's Sherman Oaks residence or at locations connected to the group, where they were handcuffed, bound with plastic restraints and threatened with firearms. Some were drugged with an antihistamine known as Dimedrol before being suffocated or strangled. Their bodies were weighted and transported approximately 300 miles north to New Melones Reservoir, where they were thrown from bridges into deep water.

The Murder of Meyer Muscatel

The first known victim was Meyer Muscatel, a 58-year-old real-estate developer and homebuilder from the Los Angeles area. In October 2001, Mikhel approached Muscatel while pretending to be a businessman interested in purchasing property. Muscatel agreed to accompany him to what he believed was a property connected to a potential transaction. The destination was actually Mikhel's Encino home, where Kadamovas and accomplice Ainar Altmanis were waiting. Muscatel was seized as soon as he entered. His legs were secured with plastic ties, his hands were cuffed behind his back and his eyes were covered with duct tape. Mikhel struck him in the head with a pistol while Kadamovas and the others searched his wallet and questioned him about his money. The kidnappers attempted to withdraw funds from his bank account, but the bank froze the account before they could obtain the money. After deciding Muscatel was no longer financially useful, the men injected him with Dimedrol. He was held against the floor while a plastic bag was placed over his head and his nose was pinched closed. After suffocating him, Kadamovas and Mikhel loaded his body into Kadamovas's van and drove to New Melones Reservoir. While carrying the body toward the edge of Parrotts Ferry Bridge, they dropped it against a curb and left bloodstains behind. Muscatel's weighted and bound body was then thrown into the reservoir. It was found floating near the bridge on October 18, 2001, with his hands tied and a plastic bag around his head. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Meyer Muscatel Age: (54), Date of Death: 2001-10-12

Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel - Wikipedia