Bio

Vladimir Pokhilko was born on April 08, 1954 in Russia. He grew up in a country undergoing many changes, particularly as it moved through the latter part of the 20th century. He eventually became an academic and an entrepreneur, specializing in human-computer interaction. He was a trained clinical psychologist.

In the 1980s, Vladimir became involved in the development of video games. He worked closely with Alexey Pajitnov, who invented the popular game Tetris. They saw the potential for Tetris to be a successful computer game and worked together to develop and market it.

Vladimir's career took him to the United States, where he helped establish a software company called AnimaTek in 1988. The company was focused on creating advanced game software and 3D animation. He worked hard to grow the business, but it faced struggles, particularly due to financial uncertainties related to the economic situation in Russia. The stress of these difficulties began to impact his life.

He lived in Palo Alto, California, with his wife, Elena Fedotova, and their son, Peter. Elena was a yoga instructor, and Peter was a seventh-grader at school. 

Murder Story

On September 21, 1998, Vladimir Pokhilko committed a tragic crime in his home in Santa Clara County, California. He killed his wife, Elena Fedotova, who was 38 years old, and their son, Peter, who was 12.

Pokhilko used a hammer to hit both Elena and Peter. After striking them, he stabbed them multiple times with a hunting knife while they were likely asleep. The police found both Elena and Peter in their beds, with no signs of struggle since they seemed to have been attacked unexpectedly.

Later that day, Pokhilko took his own life by slashing his throat with the same knife. A close family friend discovered his body in Peter's room. He was lying next to his son's bed. The police recovered the hammer and the knife used in the attacks.

Pokhilko left behind a note that was described as somewhat incoherent and not officially classified as a suicide note. The police believe that financial pressures related to his software company, AnimaTek, might have contributed to the events.

The community felt a sense of shock and grief after the incident, particularly at the school where Peter was a student.