What is known about Zoltán Ember and the murders he committed?

Zoltán Ember, commonly known as the “monster of Szentkirályszabad” committed five murders in Hungary during the 1990s and 2000s. Below, I summarize his crimes and the course of the investigation based on publicly available information.

First murder in 1991. 

• Zoltán Ember was released from prison in 1991 and decided to punish his stepfather for the suffering he endured as a kid. He beat the elderly man to death with a screwdriver, then stole his money.  
• Second murder in 1999. 
• Eight years later, he killed his own brother. A dispute arose between the brothers, who both led a life of heavy drinking, over the sale of the family home. The argument turned violent, and Zoltán Ember strangled his 50-year-old brother, then buried the body.
• Third murder in 2002. 
• He strangled an 87-year-old woman living alone, then robbed her.
• Fourth murder in 2003. 
• He strangled an 83-year-old man and stole his valuables.
• Fifth murder in 2004.
• He strangled an 82-year-old woman and then robbed her.
• Based on clues found at the murder scenes and similarities in the modus operandi, the police identified a connection between the cases. Zoltán Ember was finally arrested in 2004. During questioning, he confessed to the murders and showed no remorse for his actions.  The court sentenced Zoltán Ember to effective life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole. He served his sentence at Csillag Prison in Szeged, where he committed suicide in 2015. I should note that the details of the investigative files are not public, so the information published here comes from publicly available sources.