On 22 January 1957, 15‑year‑old Bohdan Piasecki disappeared in Warsaw after being seized by an unknown man, sparking a 25‑year investigation that culminated in his murder discovered in December 1958.
1. The Abduction
On 22 January 1957, near the intersection of Wejnert Street in Warsaw, Bohdan Piasecki was accompanied by classmates Wojciech Szczęsny, Janusz Świątkowski, and Ryszard Karwański when an unknown figure approached them at the curb. The man, described as resembling a security officer, demanded to know which of the boys was named Piasecki and then forced Bohdan into a black Warsaw taxi (registration T‑75‑222) with the other three.
The boys later reported being taken against their will, although the police were skeptical because the vehicle was a taxi, not a marked police car.
2. Early Investigation
Local witnesses noted the taxi’s registration, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MO) could not find the vehicle in the city registry. A taxi driver, Ignacy Ekerling, was later identified as the owner of the car, yet he claimed the men had simply ordered a ride and vanished. Ekerling’s testimony proved contradictory and ultimately led to his arrest on 1 April.
3. Mysterious Ransom Calls
Within hours of the kidnapping, Bolesław Piasecki received phone calls demanding a ransom: first an amount of $4,000 plus 100,000 złoty, then later a higher figure and instructions to deliver the money via a chain of intermediaries, including the rector of a local high school and a priest.
Despite following the instructions, the ransom was never paid and no commutation was made.
4. The Search for the Driver
Investigators found the taxi’s registration on Nowy Świat, and the driver was identified. However, the driver’s name failed to appear in the MO records, and his statements were inconsistent. His cooperation was never secured during the initial months of the case.
5. Delayed Evidence and Witnesses
On 24 January, a forensic visit to the scene found no evidence of Bohdan, yet the investigation lingered. Later, the MO’s new chief prosecutor in 1958 intensified the inquiry, recovering a notebook that listed contacts linked to the kidnappers, many of whom had fled to Israel before they could be arrested.
6. The Final Discovery
On 8 December 1958, while inspecting a basement in Warsaw, workers discovered a human body in a toilet area: a young boy sitting on the toilet, a kitchen knife inserted into his chest, and schoolbooks on his chest bearing the name Bohdan Piasecki. The body was later identified as the abducted teenager, confirming the case’s grim conclusion.
