Michal Polchowski, a man arrested and later cleared over the murder and dismemberment of his housemate Stuart Everett, has spoken publicly for the first time about the killing carried out by another housemate, Marcin Majerkiewicz.
Police dropped the charges against Mr Polchowski after establishing that Majerkiewicz, 42, acted alone in the killing, which shocked Salford, Greater Manchester, and the wider UK. Mr Everett, 67, also known as Roman Ziemacki, was repeatedly hit over the head with a weapon in the home he shared with both men on Worsley Road, Winton.
Killer used hacksaw and dumped remains
Majerkiewicz used a hacksaw to cut up Mr Everett's body in his bedroom before placing the parts in bags for life and walking or taking the bus to dump them in wooded areas across Salford and north Manchester. He was arrested about a month after the killing, after police scouring CCTV footage recognised him getting on a bus.
Majerkiewicz was seen on CCTV near five locations where Mr Everett's remains were found: Kersal Dale in Salford, Linnyshaw Colliery Woods and Blackleach Country Park in Walkden, land off Chesterfield Close in Winton, and Boggart Hole Clough in Blackley. Trial judge Mr Justice Cavanagh handed him a life sentence in March last year with a minimum term of 34 years, after a jury found him guilty of murder.
A new two-part documentary series, The Jigsaw Puzzle Murder, examines the 2024 case and features an interview with Mr Polchowski.
Housemate describes disbelief at arrest
Mr Polchowski, who lived with Mr Everett and Majerkiewicz divided only by a wall from the killer, said he spent much of the week in his room and had no idea Mr Everett had been murdered. He worked in a meat-packing factory at the time and was home around the time of the killing.
Reflecting on the moment police arrived, Mr Polchowski described his disbelief. "[Police] said someone has been murdered here," he said. "I thought 'if someone had been murdered here, I'd know about it'." He added: "I was upstairs. I'd go down to the kitchen about once a day to make tea."
Mr Polchowski suggested alcohol may have played a part in why he heard nothing. "I suppose that, if I didn't hear, they must have been drinking alcohol," he said. "Stuart had a high blood sugar, so when he had a drink, he'd get really drowsy. [Majerkiewicz] could have done whatever he wanted with him."
Investigation into identity and disposal
Investigators examining Mr Everett's phone found indications he may have believed his relationship with Majerkiewicz was more than a friendship. Asked whether he thought they were romantically involved, Mr Polchowski said he could not be certain. "They watched films in Marcin's room two or three times a week," he added.
The documentary reveals that Majerkiewicz assumed elements of Mr Everett's identity after killing him, using his phone, meddling in his finances, and sending birthday cards in his name. Handwriting analysis established that Majerkiewicz sent a card signed by 'Benny'. Mr Everett's family, who lived several hours away, believed he was safe and well.
Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, who led the investigation, described the case as one of the most complex and harrowing of his 23-year career with Greater Manchester Police. By combining phone data, bus journeys, cell-site information and CCTV, investigators identified 19 locations across Manchester and Salford where evidence and body parts had been discarded. A breakthrough came after detectives reviewed around 2,000 hours of CCTV footage, looking for somebody struggling to carry a heavy and awkward bag; the footage captured Majerkiewicz walking towards the woods with a bag, repeatedly switching hands and stopping to rest.
The Jigsaw Puzzle Murder is exclusively on Paramount+ from November 12.
