Ermakov told his wife that Anastasia was killed by a bayonet , and Yurovsky wrote that as the bodies were carried out , one or more of the girls cried out and were hit on the back of the head with a club . However , the back of Maria 's skull does not show any signs of having been clubbed . Although Ermakov 's archived statement does not say so , he told his wife that Anastasia was finished off with bayonets , while Yurovsky wrote that as the bodies were carried out , one or more of the girls cried out and were clubbed on the back of the head .