Stalker who murdered Top Model leaves mysterious notes inside library book
When Jerzy Lisiewski stabbed to death the former Miss Poland and rising international model in front of her husband and daughter in August 1996, the whole of Poland was deeply shocked.
Recently, mysterious handwritten notes unquestionably from the killer have been discovered in a library book about the murder in which the killer tries to wriggle out of responsibility for the slaying claiming it was an accident.
The author of the book ‘Ballady morderców. Kryminalny Wrocław’ (Ballads of Murderers. Criminal Wroclaw) Iza Michalewicz was tipped off by a reader who was shocked when she discovered the notes after taking the book out of a library in Wrocław.
Agnieszka came to public attention in 1991 when the 19-year-old Wroclaw native was crowned Miss Poland. In the autumn of the same year, Kotlarska became the first Polish woman to win the Miss International competition.
The killer has already served a fifteen-year jail term for the crime and is now a free man; however, the notes in which he attempts to shirk responsibility have spooked the author, who wrote on Facebook:
“I hope he won't want to convince me of this personally.”
Agnieszka Kotlarska was only 24 years old at the time of her death. She stood at the threshold of a huge international career, while at the same time, she was a happy wife and mother of a two-year-old girl.
The title opened the doors to an international modelling career. She began to tour the world, her photographs were published in the most prestigious fashion magazines, and designers like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren began collaborating with her.
Agnieszka came to public attention in 1991 when the 19-year-old Wroclaw native was crowned Miss Poland. In the autumn of the same year, Kotlarska became the first Polish woman to win the Miss International competition.
The title opened the doors to an international modelling career. She began to tour the world, her photographs were published in the most prestigious fashion magazines, and designers like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren began collaborating with her.
Shortly before the Miss Poland pageant, she started seeing Jaroslaw Swiatek, the organiser of an earlier contest, which she also won.
When Kotlarska moved back to Poland, her stalker found out where she lived and, after confronting her outside her house, stabbed her to death.
The lovers married in New York, and in 1993 they lived to see their daughter Patrycja.
She first caught the eye of her future killer Jerzy Lisiewski when she was attending the same high school in Wrocław as his younger brother.
He eventually spoke to her and even walked her home after school. After that, he continued to observe her and sent her flowers.
Jerzy Lisiewski was sentenced to 15 years for her murder. He was released in 2011.
Kotlarska moved to New York with her husband only to return to Wrocław in 1996. Just before returning, she had been due to fly to Paris for a modelling job but she cancelled her flight at the last minute. The plane crashed in Long Island killing everyone on board.
The lucky escape made the local papers, and when Lisiewski read about it his previous feelings for Kotlarska were rekindled.
Lisiewski found out where she lived and made anonymous phone calls to her. One day, he drove to her home where he found Kotlarska with her husband and daughter outside.
In the ensuing struggle, Lisiewski plunged the knife he was carrying several times into Kotlarska in front of her daughter. She died later in hospital.
Iza Michalewicz, the author of the book ‘Ballady morderców. Kryminalny Wrocław’ (Ballads of Murderers. Criminal Wroclaw) was told by a reader that she had discovered notes inside after taking the book out of a library in Wrocław.
Lisiewski showed no remorse for his crime and served fifteen years in prison. He was released in 2012.
Three years after he was released, he attacked a man with a knife who robbed his house. He served one year in jail.
The reader of the library book sent Michalewicz a total of nine photos of pages with the killer’s notes, adding the simple comment “I thought it might be the perpetrator."
Michalewicz wrote on Facebook: “The photos were not very clear, and when enlarged it became clear that the remarks were written in what is known as "grypsera," the handwriting of prisoners.
Michalewicz said: “The photos were not very clear, and when enlarged it became clear that the remarks were written in what is known as
“This involves the writer "eating" vowels, consonants, sometimes whole syllables in words, thus shortening them and making them unreadable to the ordinary person.”
She added: “I was thrown by his knowledge of the killer's past (education, military service, work), but especially his emotional memory. It seems that he to this day believes that Agnieszka Kotlarska was killed by accident, not knowing that it was her that he struck with the knife.”
Her suspicions were confirmed by a police officer familiar with the case. “In his opinion, for 99.9 percent it must have been Agnieszka’s killer. It is his handwriting,” she wrote.
In the notes, Lisiewski suggests that Kotlarska’s husband was a pimp and questioned the version of events put forward by the book’s author, claiming that he plunged the knife into Kotlarska by accident.
Her suspicions were confirmed by a police officer familiar with the case. “In his opinion, for 99.9 percent it must have been Agnieszka’s killer. It is his handwriting,” she wrote.
Michalewicz rejects this version, saying that “he claimed that he killed her while standing with his back to her, which is completely absurd.”
She added that when she read the court file she was shocked by his arrogance and lack of remorse. She believes that he is dangerous and unpredictable.
She added that currently, Lisiewski is living a free life in Wrocław. He runs in marathons and has been seen lining for food handouts near his home.
Staff at the library in Wrocław were shaken by the discovery of the notes and have asked police to beef up patrols in the area.
