The Tetris Murders: Who was Vladimir Pokhilko and what did he create?

Investigation Discovery is ready to delve into the mysterious case of Vladimir Pokhilko, the co-creator of Tetris, with its upcoming docu-series, titled The Tetris Murders, that is scheduled to premiere on Monday, December 5, 2022.

Tetris is arguably one of the most popular video games in the world. It was originally created by Alexey Pajitnov, one of the most renowned game developers in history, with the help of Pokhilko, who played a key role in the development and marketing of the game.

On September 21, 1998, Vladimir Pokhilko was found dead in his home with his throat slit. His wife, 38, and teenage son, 12, were also bludgeoned and stabbed to death. Authorities eventually concluded that following some financial struggles, Pokhilko had killed his family and committed suicide. However, years later, there are still unanswered questions about the legitimacy of this claim.

The upcoming docuseries plans to explore the many facets of Vladimir Pokhilko's murder-suicide, while also shedding light on the life of the entrepreneur who has been credited with co-developing one of history's most popular video games.

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More details about The Tetris Murders and the baffling murder-suicide

It is almost ironic that the creator of the most famous puzzle game died under circumstances that were nothing short of a puzzling mystery. Years after the case was ruled as a suicide, theorists continued to come up with other connections that may have affected Vladimir Pokhilko. Two important connections were the Russian Mafia and the FBI.

In the docu-series, now-retired Sandra Brown will shed light on the case that she examined first-hand. The synopsis for The Tetris Murders reads:

"When Palo Alto PD CSI Tech Investigator Sandra Brown arrived at the Pokhilko crime scene in 1998, she and many members of her team instantly knew something was amiss. While a suicide note written by Pokhilko was left behind to Brown and her team, the forensics and the physical evidence of the crime didn’t seem to line up with the murder-suicide scenario that was being proposed."

It further states:

"Just as Brown and her team began to connect the dots, they discovered the FBI had its own interest in Pokhilko and the case, making the mystery even more puzzling. Decades later, with the grisly crime confirmed a murder-suicide by the FBI and police department, a now-retired Brown revisits the case to re-examine the evidence and the conspiracies surrounding the lead-up to that fateful September night to determine once and for all what really happened to the Pokhilko family."

There were numerous mysterious things about the murder, including a suicide note that read,

"I've been eaten alive. Vladimir. Just remember that I am exist. The devil."

The Tetris Murders is divided into three parts, with all of them premiering on Discovery+ at once on December 5, 2022.

Speaking on the series, Jason Sarlanis, president of crime and investigative content, said:

"For the first time, The Tetris Murders takes viewers inside the mystery surrounding this grisly murder-suicide. When the very detectives who first investigated this terrible crime discover new evidence decades later, they piece together a crime that could be even more sinister than previously believed and possibly part of an insidious conspiracy reaching all the way behind the Iron Curtain."

More details about Vladimir Pokhilko will be revealed with the premiere of The Tetris Murders. Stay tuned for more updates.