Bosnia and Herzegovina crime history: The case of Edina Gačić

The criminal history of Bosnia and Herzegovina over the last three decades includes numerous instances of family massacres, femicides, and violent street confrontations. A prominent case involves Edina Gačić, whose actions triggered one of the largest police searches in recent history.

In 1999, Gačić murdered his former war comrade, Ismet Gunić, in Zenica, resulting in a 14-year prison sentence. Following a period of good behavior, he was granted weekend leave, during which he murdered his mother, Sifeta Gačić, in 2002. Although diagnosed with severe schizoid-paranoid personality disorder, he was released in July 2017 without mandatory medical treatment.

On February 4, 2019, Gačić entered a shop in Podorašac near Konjic, where he shot and stabbed the owner, Saud Sultanić. Following the attack, Gačić fled into the forests near Konjic, initiating a multi-day manhunt that spanned through snowy terrain toward the Sarajevo Canton.