Bio

Conner Michael Schierman was born in 1981. He grew up in the suburban area of Bellevue, Washington. Little information is available about his early childhood, family life, or education. He later lived in Kirkland, which is near Seattle. Before the events that would mark him as a notorious figure, Conner worked as a maintenance worker. He had no known criminal record prior to his arrests in 2006, suggesting that he lived a fairly ordinary life leading up to that point.

In the years leading up to the tragic incidents, Schierman struggled with alcohol and was listed as a recovering alcoholic. He spent time in a rehabilitation facility. After leaving the rehab center, he worked at Carillon Properties in Kirkland, which included a hotel and various shops. Colleagues described him as a good worker with no issues on the job.

Schierman had moved into his residence across the street from the Milkin family only a few weeks prior to the murders. This brief time in the neighborhood coincided with a significant failure in connecting with the community around him. Neighbors described him as someone who was not receptive when approached.

Murder Story

On July 17, 2006, Conner Michael Schierman stabbed four people in a Kirkland home. His victims were Olga Milkin, 28; her sons, Justin, 5, and Andrew, 3; and her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24. After stabbing them, he set the house on fire to hide the evidence.

Schierman had moved into the neighborhood just weeks before the murders. He reportedly drank heavily the night of the killings and claimed to have blacked out. When he woke up, he found himself covered in blood in the victims' home.

On July 19, 2006, police arrested Schierman. They found his DNA at the crime scene, linking him to the murders. Surveillance footage showed him buying gasoline just before the fire. The police pieced together evidence that led them to believe Schierman had acted deliberately, despite his claims of a blackout. The bodies of the victims were discovered with multiple stab wounds.

The King County Prosecutor's Office charged Schierman with four counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. He faced the possibility of the death penalty.

Two days after the murders, Schierman was charged; he pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney argued he had no criminal history and that it was unclear he had a motive to commit the crimes. Schierman's trial began in January 2010.

On April 12, 2010, a jury found him guilty. The penalty phase continued for two weeks, and on May 5, 2010, he was sentenced to death.

Leonid Milkin, the husband of Olga and father of the two boys, was serving in Iraq at the time of the murders. Following his wife and children's deaths, he spoke publicly about the loss and expressed his sorrow and disbelief. The case remains one of the most notorious homicides in Kirkland's history, with many continuing to remember the victims and the tragedy of their deaths.