Horse thief in Iași identified by ear shape, sentenced to 3 years

A horse thief in Iași County has been identified and sentenced thanks to an unusual forensic technique: the shape of his ears. The man was given a prison sentence of three years and two months after an expert matched his ear to CCTV footage, a local court has ruled.

The theft took place on the morning of 7 August 2025, when a villager from Slobozia, in the commune of Ciurea, called 112 to report that someone had cut the electric fence around his garden and stolen a 13-year-old mare and her year-old foal. CCTV cameras near the town hall captured a figure with a black scarf over his face leading two horses, but the images were too unclear for a positive identification.

Investigators later identified a taxi driver who had picked up a passenger from Nicolina market that night. The passenger initially asked to be taken to the village of Cercu in Bârnova, but then changed the destination to Ciurea. That person was subsequently identified as the horse thief.

Numerous clues pointed to the suspect, including similar clothing, a similar backpack, a comparable walk and shoulder posture, and even matching tattoos. However, the decisive evidence came from a forensic comparison of the ears. An expert noted that the upper helix curvature, the oblique antitragus, the lobe size and shape, and the concha construction were all similar. The expert emphasised that the ear is unique to each individual, much like a fingerprint, and its shape does not change from birth to death.

The man was convicted and sentenced to three years and two months in prison. The ruling is not final, as the defendant has appealed and the case is now before the Court of Appeal.