A new instalment of ITV's True Crime Presents series airs tonight (Tuesday, 19 May) and investigates the tragic murder of Marta Ligman.
The one-hour episode, titled Murder at the Grand Canal, follows the investigation into Marta's murder after her body was discovered hidden inside a suitcase floating in London's Grand Union Canal.
Ahead of True Crime Presents: Murder at the Grand Canal, here's everything we know about Marta's death, and where her killer, Tomasz Kocik, is now.
What happened to Marta Ligman?
In May 2015, houseboat residents in London's scenic Little Venice spotted a suspicious suitcase floating in the canal. Inside, the remains of 23-year-old Marta Ligman were discovered. Her body was in a tight foetal position and wrapped in bin bags and curtains.
A police investigation then revealed Marta had been beaten by her boyfriend, Tomasz Kocik, and her unconscious body was put into the suitcase before being dumped in the water. Tomasz, who was 38 at the time, was caught on CCTV cameras in the early morning of 1 May, dragging an extremely heavy and large suitcase. He was then seen returning home an hour later, without the case but with wet trousers.
But the killer didn't stop there. Per findings revealed in court, he followed a "determined" course of action to mislead her family and friends, and throw police off his track. He did so by using Marta's social media accounts to "leave a false trail" of evidence.
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At Tomasz's trial, Judge Nicholas Hilliard said that Marta had suffered a "severe beating" at his hands. "Dead or dying, you then treated her body in a grotesque and demeaning way, hauling her in a suitcase down to the canal and carrying a stick to try to submerge the case when you got there," he told the murderer.
Where is Tomasz Kocik now?
Despite his defence arguing that Tomasz had found Marta dead at their flat following days of amphetamine-fuelled bondage sex sessions, the Polish national was found guilty of Marta's murder and jailed for life in November 2015. At the Old Bailey, he was told he would serve a minimum of 18 years and six months in prison for the crime.
"We hope he rots in jail," Marta's cousin said of Tomasz, per The Standard. "He took away Marta, and we will never get her back. At least him being guilty gives some justice to her and her family."
"She was a beautiful, loving person. She was so young with her life ahead of her. I know how much she wanted to be a mother," the family member continued. "We try not to think about her last moments. It has left her parents heartbroken, and it's a very difficult thing for them to get over."
"After killing her, and disposing of her body in an attempt to cover up his actions, Kocik continued to lie to her friends and family about her whereabouts and deny his involvement — something he continued right the way through his trial," added Detective Inspector Sarah McConnell, from the homicide and major crime command. "I am pleased for Marta's family that the jury rejected his lies and convicted him of murder."
"He now faces a lengthy custodial sentence, where he will have years to consider the devastating impact of his actions," she went on.
Details of which prison Tomasz is serving time in are unclear; however, he will not be eligible for parole until May 2034.
Watch True Crime Presents: Murder at the Grand Canal on ITV1 at 9pm on May 19, or stream on ITVX.
