Operating across multiple Russian regions over roughly two years, Astashev led a poisoning campaign that killed 17 people and injured 14 others — crimes motivated by robbery rather than ideology or personal grievance. What distinguishes his case is the coordinated involvement of two female accomplices and the geographic spread of the attacks, which complicated investigation and allowed the scheme to continue well into 2005. His ultimate ruling of criminal incompetence meant he never faced trial, while those who carried out the crimes alongside him were imprisoned.

Brazel's crimes span nearly a decade and cross distinct categories of violence — armed robbery resulting in murder, and the targeted killing of sex workers — making his case notable for both its breadth and the long delay before full accountability. His 1982 confession, offered eighteen years after the fact, reflects a pattern of control that extended well beyond the crimes themselves. His reputation within Victoria's prison system as among the most manipulative and dangerous incarcerated individuals has kept him from parole despite eligibility.