Ludwig Tolumov and Ivan Serafimov
Bulgarian serial killers
Ludwig Slavov Tolumov (Bulgarian: Лудвиг Славов Толумов; born 1950) and Ivan Serafimov Ivanov (Bulgarian: Иван Серафимов Иванов; 1956 – July 15, 2000), known jointly as The Sour and The Sweet (Bulgarian: Соленото и Сладкото), were a pair of Bulgarian robbers, rapists and serial killers who, in the span of two months in 2000, murdered 3 people and robbed several others. Serafimov, who was solely responsible for a murder in 1996, was shot by his partner Tolumov, who himself was subsequently apprehended and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Biographies
Early lives
Both Tolumov and Serafimov were born in the little village of Duvanli, where they were childhood friends, but eventually separated after the former moved to Hisar so he could live with new wife, Penka, who later gave birth to three children. Not long after, Tolumov went on to temporarily live in Germany, before moving to Namibia. In the meantime, Serafimov became a habitual criminal, spending a total of 15 years behind bars after 8 consecutive sentences for aggravated robbery. While imprisoned, he earned the nickname "The Sweet" because of his ability to sweet talk and his love for sweets.
After many years, while Serafimov was serving his 8th sentence for robbery in the Plovdiv Prison, he reunited with Tolumov, who was imprisoned for theft. During this prison stint, they decided to form their deadly criminal duet. After Serafimov's release in March 2000, he returned to a life of crime, now aided by his partner.
First murder
On May 13, 2000, a couple, consisting of 19-year-old Ruzhdiye Useinova from Pravoslaven and 20-year-old Sevgin Myumyun from Voden, had decided to go to a disco in the "Mogilata" complex near the village of Varbitsa, Haskovo Province.
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