Olga Gepnarova
CzechBiography of Olga Hepnarová
Olga Hepnarová was a Czechoslovakian criminal who became notorious for her actions on July 10, 1973. She was the last woman to be executed in Czechoslovakia after being found guilty of killing eight people. From an early age, Hepnarová struggled with mental health issues. In 1964, she attempted suicide and was admitted to a children's psychiatric hospital, where she spent about a year. Later, she worked as a truck driver.
The Tragic Act
On July 10, 1973, Olga Hepnarová directed a truck towards a group of approximately 25 people waiting for a tram on a street in Prague, then known as "Street of the Defenders of Peace." Three people died on the spot, three more died on the same day, and two others succumbed to their injuries a few days later. Twelve people were wounded.
Prior to the killings, Hepnarová sent letters to the editors of two newspapers, explaining that her actions were a form of revenge for the hatred she experienced from her family and the world. She wrote, "I am alone. A destroyed person. A person destroyed by others... I have the choice - to kill myself or to kill others. I choose - TO TAKE REVENGE ON MY ENEMIES. It would be too easy to leave this world as an unknown suicide. Society is too indifferent, you can't argue with that. My verdict is this: I, Olga Hepnarová, a victim of your cruelty, sentence you to death."
Due to postal delays, the letters were only delivered two days after the murders. The killings were carried out in a cold-blooded manner. When Olga approached the stop, she saw that there were few people present as the tram had just left. She drove away and returned when the number of people had increased. During the investigation, Hepnarová showed no remorse for her actions and stated that her goal was to kill as many people as possible. She refused to cooperate with a lawyer and was deemed sane.
The Execution
On April 6, 1974, the City Court of Prague sentenced Olga Hepnarová to death. The verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the Czech Socialist Republic and later by the Supreme Court of Czechoslovakia. On March 3, 1975, President Ludvík Svoboda rejected Olga's mother's request for clemency, and on March 12, Olga Hepnarová was hanged in Prague's Pankrác Prison. Interestingly, the street where Olga committed her crime is now named after Milada Horáková, another woman who was hanged in Pankrác for fabricated charges after a political trial.
