Vadim Nikolayevich Ershov was born on February 15, 1973, in Rechnoy, Kirov Oblast, RSFSR.

Vadim Nikolayevich Ershov committed a series of serious crimes between 1992 and 1995 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. He was involved in at least 19 murders during this time. His first known attack occurred after he returned to Krasnoyarsk from military service. He raped a 16-year-old girl but left her alive. Shortly after, he killed a 42-year-old foodservice employee by hitting her with a stick.

Over the next three years, Ershov carried out more attacks. He targeted both young girls and elderly women. Many of his attacks involved rape, and he killed most of his victims to cover up his crimes. He also committed around 40 robberies, with some resulting in deaths.

On October 29, 1995, Ershov attempted to steal a gold chain from a 16-year-old girl. Her screams attracted attention, and as he tried to escape, he was confronted by two men. He stabbed one of them but was eventually knocked out by a local woman using a fire extinguisher. He was later taken into custody by the police.

After his arrest, Ershov initially did not cooperate with the authorities. He gave a false name and pretended to be a homeless person. However, he later confessed and led police to evidence of his crimes, including tools he used and belongings of his victims.

Ershov kept a detailed diary of his crimes. In this diary, he recorded information about each attack, such as the number of the victim and the method of the crime. He noted the outcomes of his attacks and monitored media coverage of his crimes.

In June 1998, he was tried and found guilty of multiple murders. The court sentenced him to death by firing squad. His defense claimed he had a mental disorder, but the court deemed him sane. On January 28, 1999, the sentence was changed to life imprisonment due to a moratorium on the death penalty in Russia. Ershov is currently serving his sentence in Black Dolphin Prison.