Murder of 45-year-old in Chania: 43-year-old suspect confesses
The 43-year-old confessed to the murder of Stavroula Leventaki in Chania. Her body was found buried in an agricultural plot in Bathylakko following a multi-day police investigation.
Murder of 45-year-old in Chania: 43-year-old suspect confesses
In Chania, Crete, authorities managed to resolve a complex disappearance case that was reported on 8 June, but had actually occurred on 30 May. The 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki had vanished without trace, with her family appealing to authorities to determine her fate.
Taxiarch Kanellos Nikolaou, head of the local police force, described the particular difficulties that officers faced, as the delay in reporting the disappearance had created serious obstacles to the preservation of evidence. Nevertheless, investigations began immediately with a comprehensive action plan.
Police officers conducted extensive inquiries into the woman's environment, gathering testimonies from relatives, friends and colleagues. Simultaneously, information was requested from airlines and ferry companies, whilst her electronic communications were carefully analysed. Focus on the people who had been in contact with her in the final hours before she disappeared gradually led to a 43-year-old man.
The decisive moment came with a search of the suspect's house in Varypetra, where the unfortunate woman had been found before her disappearance. Specialists from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations employed advanced methods of detecting biological traces and found blood traces in various locations in the house and his car. The samples collected were identified via DNA as originating from the missing woman.
The combined assessment of all data – testimonies, video footage from security cameras, genetic analyses and electronic communications – created a complete evidentiary framework. Under the weight of the evidence, the 43-year-old admitted to his actions and led police officers to the location where he had concealed the body.
The body of the 45-year-old was found buried in a privately-owned agricultural plot in the Bathylakko area, wrapped in multiple bags and bound with plastic ties. The autopsy is scheduled to take place and is expected to shed light on the exact cause of death.
The perpetrator has been in custody since Friday, as he had been arrested in a separate case involving illegal cannabis cultivation in Fournes, Chania. A case file was compiled against him for intentional manslaughter, and he is expected to be brought before an investigating judge.
Source: Naftemporiki