Bio

Nikolay Lazukin was born in 1985. He was 27 years old at the time of the killings on May 22, 2012. He was also known as Nick Lazukin. By 2012, Lazukin was living in Salem, Oregon, with his wife, Natalya, and their three daughters, Angelica, Zoe, and Sulamia. The family lived on Fisher Road NE and had attended the Slavic Christian Church of Salem for several years.

Lazukin was a student at Chemeketa Community College. Reports state that he first started there in 2003, attended at different times, and was enrolled as a full-time student when the killings happened. Friends also said he worked while taking classes. His wife, Natalya, worked as a dental assistant.

Before the murders, Lazukin had little public criminal history. Records mostly showed traffic citations. In December 2005, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was ordered to complete eight hours of anger management classes. He completed those classes in April 2006.

People who knew the family said they did not notice clear warning signs before the killings. Family members and investigators also said there was no known history of domestic abuse. Investigators later spoke with Natalya’s relatives, friends, and co-workers and found no prior reports of threats or domestic violence involving Lazukin.

The investigation did not find a clear motive. Toxicology tests found no controlled drugs or common medications in Lazukin’s system, and his blood alcohol level was very low. Investigators closed the case after concluding that Lazukin acted alone and was responsible for the five deaths.

Murder Story

In the early morning hours of May 22, 2012, Nikolay Lazukin drove away from his home in the family’s Jeep Cherokee. Investigators later determined that he had been signed into his Chemeketa Community College online account before midnight. Surveillance video later showed his Jeep moving in the area of Fisher Road NE in Salem at around 1:50 a.m.

At about the same time, 21-year-old Devin Richard Matlock was walking home from a friend’s apartment. Matlock had spent the evening with friends, eating dinner and watching a video at an apartment on Coral Avenue NE. His usual walking route included Fisher Road NE, near the place where his body was later found. Investigators concluded that Lazukin attacked Matlock while Matlock was walking home.

A delivery truck driver found Matlock’s body near Fisher Road NE and Devonshire Avenue at about 4:23 a.m. At first, investigators considered the possibility that he had been hit by a vehicle. An autopsy later showed that he had died from blunt-force head injuries. He had severe injuries to his face and skull, including fractures of the nose, jaw, and cranium. Investigators later found Matlock’s blood on a baseball bat inside Lazukin’s Jeep and on the bottoms of Lazukin’s shoes.

After Matlock’s killing, Lazukin drove to a Super 8 Motel in Salem. There, he called out to a woman named Christina Lowe, who did not know him. She asked him for a ride, and surveillance video showed her leaving the motel area with him in the Jeep at about 2:50 a.m. Lowe later told investigators that Lazukin said he lived with his ex-wife and three children and that he was looking for cocaine. He also asked whether she wanted to go to Hawaii or Mexico with him.

Lazukin drove Lowe around and then took her to his home. She stayed in the Jeep while he went inside. Before he entered the house, she believed she saw him take firearm magazines from the glove compartment. Investigators later concluded that this was when Lazukin killed his wife and daughters.

Inside the home, Lazukin shot Natalya twice in the head. He shot Angelica once in the head and Zoe twice in the head. His youngest daughter, Sulamia, was not shot. She died from traumatic asphyxiation in her crib in the master bedroom. Investigators also found evidence that Lazukin used loaves of bread to muffle the shots from a .380 handgun.

After killing his family, Lazukin spread gasoline in parts of the house, including the attic stairway, the entry to the older girls’ bedroom, and the master bedroom. He then set the house on fire. Firefighters were called to the home at about 5:28 a.m. and found the bodies of Natalya and the three children inside.

Lazukin returned to the Jeep after leaving the house. He asked Lowe whether she had heard him arguing with his wife. She said she had not heard anything. Lazukin then drove Lowe to a Walmart parking lot, gave her $25 to buy a cellphone, and left while she was inside the store. Surveillance video showed the Jeep in the Walmart parking lot around 3:30 a.m. and leaving around 4:05 a.m.

Investigators later determined that Lazukin drove back near the area where Matlock’s body had been found. Around 4:23 a.m., the delivery truck driver discovered the body. The district attorney summary states that Lazukin’s Jeep came into view of the delivery truck, backed into a nearby parking lot, turned around, and left the area.

After leaving Salem, Lazukin drove south on Interstate 5 toward Cottage Grove. At about 6:03 a.m., Natalya’s father received a text message from Natalya’s phone. The message asked for forgiveness, claimed that “they” had taken control of Lazukin’s body, and referred to “Exit 174.” Police later used that detail to search the Cottage Grove area near Interstate 5 Exit 174.

Police found Lazukin dead in the back seat of the family Jeep in a motel parking lot near Exit 174 in Cottage Grove. A loaded .380 handgun was found near his hand. The Oregon State Medical Examiner determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the brain and ruled the manner of death suicide. The district attorney summary stated there was no medical evidence that another person had injured him or caused his death.

The investigation also connected the gun to the murders in the home. Forensic testing showed that Lazukin’s .380 handgun fired the bullets and casings found at the house and during the autopsies. Investigators also found Lazukin’s fingerprint on the gun’s trigger and his DNA on the gun.

After reviewing the evidence, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office concluded that Nikolay Lazukin alone killed Devin Matlock, Natalya Lazukin, Angelica Lazukin, Zoe Lazukin, and Sulamia Lazukin. Because Lazukin was already dead, no grand jury was convened and no criminal charges were filed.