Shrewsbury serial killer was found dead, slumped in a chair in front of TV, inquest told
An inquest has opened into the death of Shrewsbury serial killer Robin Ligus.
Ligus had been detained in a secure establishment after being found responsible for the murders of three men in the 1990s.
He was found dead, slumped in a chair at the St Andrew's healthcare facility in Stirchley, Birmingham, on December 16.
Birmingham Assistant Coroner, Ian Dreelan, opened the inquest on Monday.
He read out evidence that Ligus was found by a member of staff at St Andrews - a secure facility for people with mental health issues - slumped in his chair facing the television.
"He was unresponsive and did not respond to shaking," Mr Dreelan said.
The staff commenced CPR carried on by paramedics when they arrived but to no avail.
Mr Dreelan said that a full inquest would be held on September 11 because Ligus had died while in state detention.
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Ligus was jailed for life in 1996 for the murder of Robert Young, 75, during a burglary at Mr Young's home in Shrewsbury two years previously.
In 2011 he was charged with murdering three other men in Shropshire, also in 1994, and jurors ruled that he was responsible for two of the deaths.
Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court were asked to rule on whether or not Ligus was responsible for the killings following a trial of facts, after he was declared unfit to plead following a stroke in 2006.
The jury found him responsible for killing Ludlow antiques dealer Trevor Bradley, 53, and Brian Coles, 57 but acquitted him of the killing of Bernard Czyzewska, 36, whose body was found in the River Severn in Shrewsbury in November 1994.
Prosecutors in the trial of facts claimed Ligus was a heroin and cocaine user and had committed the crimes to get money for his drug addiction.
The body of Mr Bradley was found in the footwell behind the front seats of his burnt out car in a field in the Melverley area in 1994.
Ligus, a former painter and decorator, was detained in a secure hospital indefinitely following the jurors' ruling.
