Anna Kosinska

On the morning of September 28, 2014, police discovered the bodies of Anna Kosinska, a 34-year-old White woman, and her 7-year-old daughter, Victoria Kotlinski. The two were found in pools of blood in the kitchen of their home in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood, on the 3400 block of North Odell Avenue. Authorities believed the attack had occurred sometime between the previous day and that Sunday morning.

The scene was described as gruesome. In addition to the mother and daughter, the family’s cat and dog had also been stabbed to death, and knives were scattered throughout the kitchen. In a later court hearing, prosecutors detailed the severity of the victims’ injuries. Anna had sustained seven stab wounds to her chest, an incise wound to her jaw, and defensive wounds on her hand and forearm. Victoria suffered five stab wounds to her back, a large incise wound to her neck, defensive wounds, and contusions to her head, eye, and mouth from being kicked.

The investigation began after Anna’s live-in boyfriend and Victoria’s father, 35-year-old Maciej Kotlinski, went to his parents' home in the far north suburb of Waukegan, Illinois. After his arrival, the Waukegan Police Department contacted Chicago police, who then went to the family's residence and found the victims.

Maciej Kotlinski was taken into custody and charged in the killings. During a court appearance, he sobbed as the prosecutor recounted the victims' injuries. According to court records, Kotlinski reported having suicidal thoughts and suffering from acute psychosis and schizophrenia. A judge ordered him held without bond and asked that he be hospitalized while in Cook County Jail. As of September 2014, his case was entering the court system.