January 6th 1999 A pusher tug boat called The Elk was traveling along the Vistula River in Poland, when it came to a sudden halt just a few short feet from it’s mooring. The propeller had gotten stuck and so the captain and crew went to pull out what they assumed would be tree branches or River weeds. When the opened the hatch to access the propeller they were met with a sickening smell, it wasn’t tree branches, and it wasn’t river vegetation, it was a large pale piece of human skin.

Using brand new DNA technology Polish authorities would learn that the skin belonged to 23 year old college student Katarzyna Zowada, but what they didn’t know was that her story would go on to be one of the most sensational and prolonged investigations in Polish history. In the United States Katarczyna’s story is know as “the Polish skin case” but in Poland it is simply called “Skora” which means… leather. This case is graphic, so proceed with caution.