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Orlík Reservoir Murders

SOLVED1991Orlík Reservoir, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Ždákovský most 04.jpg
File:Ždákovský most 04.jpg — Credit: Michal Ritter · CC BY-SA 3.0

Between 1991 and 1993, a five-person gang built around childhood friends Karel Kopáč and Vladimír Kuna killed six people for money in and around Prague, Rudná, and Liberec, Czech Republic. Kopáč, a former arms dealer, led the group; the gang's main shooter, Ludvík Černý, personally carried out every killing. Kuna devised the group's method of disposing of remains — sealing them in barrels, dissolving them in lye, and dropping the barrels into the Orlík Reservoir from the Žďákov Bridge.

The gang's first killing, on 5 April 1991, targeted businessman Aleš Katovský, who had hired Kopáč as a bodyguard; Černý shot him from the back seat of a car near a railroad crossing in Zličín during a staged currency exchange. On 9 January 1992, Černý shot Leorent Lipoveci, a waiter who had immigrated from Kosovo, during a staged weapons sale at Kuna's apartment in Rudná — the first body disposed of using the barrel-and-lye method. Antique dealer Vlastimil Hodr was shot near a Prague gas station for a gold seal he was carrying and, because his body did not fit in a barrel, was dismembered before disposal. On 7 February 1992, Černý mailed a bomb to Kuna's own mother, salon owner Anna Medková, who was gravely injured when it exploded in her hands and died of her injuries days later. Acting alone and outside the gang's usual pattern, Černý also shot and killed Afrim Kryeziu, a Kosovo Albanian, in Liberec on 1 June 1993, on behalf of a group of drug traffickers. The gang's final killing, on 6 July 1993, targeted Kopáč's brother-in-law, Jaroslav Meier, after Kopáč's sister, Irena Meierová, and her boyfriend, Petr Chodounský, arranged his death so that Meierová would inherit his house. Separately, in the summer of 1992, Černý attempted to shoot Prague police officer Ján Mato, an acquaintance from a local gym, in order to take over his apartment; the gun jammed and Mato survived.

A car crash in January 1994 left Kopáč with a spinal injury and, by his own account, ended his participation in the gang's crimes. Investigators later traced blood evidence to a car Černý had sold, and mileage records for a truck he had borrowed pointed to the Orlík Reservoir as a dumping site. Divers began searching the reservoir on 10 July 1995 and recovered barrels of remains and a wrapped body within days. On learning of the discovery, Kopáč telephoned police, was talked out of taking his own life, and gave a written confession that became the prosecution's central evidence.

On 18 April 1997, after a four-month trial, all five defendants were convicted. Černý and Kuna were sentenced to life imprisonment, with Kuna's later reduced to 25 years on appeal; Kopáč received 21 years, Chodounský 14 years for fraud, and Meierová 12 years, later reduced to 10. Kopáč died by suicide in Kuřim prison in April 2004 after his sentence was upheld. Meierová was paroled in 2002, Chodounský was released in 2009, and Kuna was paroled in 2013; Černý, who later changed his surname to Zámečník, had a 2017 parole application rejected. The case was later dramatized in the 2005 film Sametoví vrazi and the 2022 television series Nineties.

Key facts

Victims
Jaroslav Meier, Vlastimil Hodr, Afrim Kryeziu, Ján Mato, Aleš Katovský, Anna Medková, Leorent Lipoveci
Date
1991
Location
Orlík Reservoir, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1991-04-05

    Businessman Aleš Katovský is fatally shot by Ludvík Černý near a railroad crossing in Zličín, in the gang's first killing.

  2. 1992-01-09

    Leorent Lipoveci is shot and killed by Černý at Vladimír Kuna's apartment in Rudná; his body is the first disposed of using the barrel-and-lye method.

  3. 1992-02-07

    A bomb mailed by Černý explodes in the hands of Anna Medková, Kuna's mother, at her home in Mnichovice; she dies of her injuries days later.

  4. 1992

    Černý attempts to shoot Prague police officer Ján Mato at Kuna's home gun range, intending to take over his apartment; the gun jams and Mato survives.

  5. 1993-06-01

    Afrim Kryeziu is shot and killed by Černý alone in Liberec, in a killing carried out for a group of drug traffickers.

  6. 1993-07-06

    Jaroslav Meier is shot four times by Černý at his home in Rudná, in a killing arranged by his wife, Irena Meierová, and her boyfriend, Petr Chodounský.

  7. 1994-01-07

    Karel Kopáč is left with a permanent spinal injury after a car crash and withdraws from further participation in the gang's crimes.

  8. 1995-07-10

    Police divers begin searching the Orlík Reservoir and recover barrels of remains and a wrapped body within days.

  9. 1997-04-18

    All five defendants are convicted after a four-month trial; Černý and Kuna receive life sentences, Kopáč 21 years, Chodounský 14 years, and Meierová 12 years.

  10. 2002

    Irena Meierová, whose sentence was reduced to 10 years on appeal, is paroled.

  11. 2004-04-15

    Karel Kopáč dies by suicide in Kuřim prison after his sentence is upheld on appeal.

  12. 2009

    Petr Chodounský is released after serving his sentence.

  13. 2013-06-18

    Vladimír Kuna, whose life sentence was reduced to 25 years on appeal, is paroled for good behaviour.

  14. 2017-10-05

    Ludvík Černý applies for parole; his request is rejected.

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People

  • Jaroslav Meier

    VICTIM

    Karel Kopáč's brother-in-law. Shot four times by Ludvík Černý at his home in Rudná on 6 July 1993, in a killing arranged by his wife, Irena Meierová, and her boyfriend, Petr Chodounský, so that Meierová would inherit the house.

  • Petr Chodounský

    CONVICTED

    Irena Meierová's boyfriend. Convicted of fraud on 18 April 1997 in connection with the plot to kill Jaroslav Meier and sentenced to 14 years, upheld on appeal. Released in 2009.

  • Vlastimil Hodr

    VICTIM

    An antique dealer. Shot in the head by Ludvík Černý near a gas station on Plzeňská Street in Prague for a gold seal he was carrying; his body was dismembered before disposal because it did not fit in a barrel. No date for this killing is given in the source.

  • Irena Meierová

    CONVICTED

    Karel Kopáč's sister, who arranged the murder of her husband, Jaroslav Meier, with her boyfriend Petr Chodounský so she would inherit his house. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to 12 years, reduced to 10 years on appeal. Paroled in 2002.

  • Afrim Kryeziu

    VICTIM

    A Kosovo Albanian shot and killed by Ludvík Černý acting alone on 1 June 1993 in Liberec, in a killing carried out for a group of drug traffickers and not otherwise tied to the gang's usual activities.

  • Ludvík Černý

    CONVICTED

    The gang's principal shooter, who personally carried out all six killings and the attempt on Ján Mato. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment, upheld on appeal; a 2017 parole application was rejected. Later changed his surname to Zámečník.

  • Ján Mato

    VICTIM

    A Prague police officer who knew several gang members from a shared gym. Ludvík Černý attempted to shoot him at Vladimír Kuna's home gun range in summer 1992, intending to take over his apartment, but the gun jammed and Mato survived.

  • Aleš Katovský

    VICTIM

    Businessman who hired Karel Kopáč as a bodyguard. Shot in the head by Ludvík Černý on 5 April 1991 near a railroad crossing in Zličín during a staged currency exchange; his body was later recovered from the Orlík Reservoir.

  • Karel Kopáč

    CONVICTED

    Leader of the gang and a former arms dealer. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to 21 years, upheld on appeal. Confessed to police in 1995 and provided the written statement used as the prosecution's main evidence. Died by suicide in Kuřim prison on 15 April 2004.

  • Anna Medková

    VICTIM

    Salon owner and mother of gang member Vladimír Kuna. Critically injured when a bomb mailed by Ludvík Černý exploded at her home in Mnichovice on 7 February 1992; died of her injuries days later.

  • Leorent Lipoveci

    VICTIM

    A waiter who had immigrated from Kosovo. Shot in the head by Ludvík Černý on 9 January 1992 during a staged weapons sale at Vladimír Kuna's apartment in Rudná; his body was the first disposed of in a lye-filled barrel.

  • Vladimír Kuna

    CONVICTED

    Devised the method of dissolving victims' remains in lye-filled barrels and dumping them in the Orlík Reservoir; his mother, Anna Medková, was among the gang's victims. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment, reduced to 25 years on appeal. Paroled on 18 June 2013.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Ždákovský most 04.jpg

    archival location

    File:Ždákovský most 04.jpg

    Credit: Michal Ritter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

Places

Orlík Reservoir, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic

49.5000, 14.1800

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Between 1991 and 1993, a five-person gang led by Karel Kopáč killed six people around Prague, Rudná, and Liberec, Czech Republic, for money, shooting most victims and dissolving several bodies in lye-filled barrels dumped in the Orlík Reservoir. All five gang members, including principal shooter Ludvík Černý, were convicted in April 1997.
Where did the murders happen?
Orlík Reservoir, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic.
Who was convicted?
Petr Chodounský (Irena Meierová's boyfriend. Convicted of fraud on 18 April 1997 in connection with the plot to kill Jaroslav Meier and sentenced to 14 years, upheld on appeal. Released in 2009.), Irena Meierová (Karel Kopáč's sister, who arranged the murder of her husband, Jaroslav Meier, with her boyfriend Petr Chodounský so she would inherit his house. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to 12 years, reduced to 10 years on appeal. Paroled in 2002.), Ludvík Černý (The gang's principal shooter, who personally carried out all six killings and the attempt on Ján Mato. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment, upheld on appeal; a 2017 parole application was rejected. Later changed his surname to Zámečník.), Karel Kopáč (Leader of the gang and a former arms dealer. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to 21 years, upheld on appeal. Confessed to police in 1995 and provided the written statement used as the prosecution's main evidence. Died by suicide in Kuřim prison on 15 April 2004.), and Vladimír Kuna (Devised the method of dissolving victims' remains in lye-filled barrels and dumping them in the Orlík Reservoir; his mother, Anna Medková, was among the gang's victims. Convicted on 18 April 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment, reduced to 25 years on appeal. Paroled on 18 June 2013.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Czechia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICOrlík killersWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — idnes.czidnes.cz · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — epochaplus.czepochaplus.cz · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026

  1. JUL 13, 2026Correction

    Catalog QA: moved to the archive tier without removing the public dossier.