Woman detained in Kauguri accused of killing and dismembering father
A court in Jūrmala is hearing a case concerning the death of a man in a flat in Kauguri. Police have detained his daughter, who has been found unfit to plead in a psychiatric examination.
Woman detained in Kauguri accused of killing and dismembering father
In Jūrmala, in a multi-flat building in Kauguri, investigators have uncovered a horrifying crime. Earlier this year, the Riga Regional Department of the State Police sent materials to the Pierīga Prosecutor's Office concerning the death of a man that occurred the previous summer. Police have detained a woman born in 1982, the dead man's daughter, on suspicion of his murder and the desecration of his body.
In September 2024, law enforcement officers went to the address after relatives reported that a man born in 1951 had not been seen since July. Upon entering the premises, they detected an unpleasant odour. In the room they found bags with cut-up items — a mattress, blankets, pillows, bed linen, paper napkins, as well as fragments of human skin and soft tissue.
Examination confirmed that the discovered remains belonged to the missing person. Also found in the flat was a deceased dog wrapped in several blankets. A search yielded kitchen utensils — chopping boards, an axe, knives, a plate, scissors and a meat grinder. Biological material from the deceased was found on all of them.
The detained woman had not previously come to police attention. She was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination, during which she was found to be unfit to plead. Investigators obtained no evidence that she consumed her father's mortal remains, but they were unable to recover the deceased's entire body.
In December of last year, the court decided to place the woman in a medical institution pending a decision on compulsory treatment. Latvian law provides for such a solution for persons who have committed serious crimes but suffer from mental disorders and have been found unfit to plead. They may be ordered to undergo treatment in a psychiatric hospital — either general or secure.
In early June, police transferred the case to the prosecutor's office, proposing that proceedings continue regarding compulsory medical measures.
The programme "Degpunkts" spoke with residents of the building. They remember 74-year-old Jānis as a strong, friendly man who came to stay with his daughter in summer and took walks along the sea. When he disappeared, a relative tried to get into the flat, but Marina did not open the door. Police then arrived at the address.
Neighbours reveal horrifying details: "She lived with her father and cut him into pieces. Black bags… We could not understand what had happened." Another resident recounts: "Neighbours started to notice an unpleasant odour. No one knew the reason. Then worms started crawling down from the upper floors…"
It should be noted that, in accordance with the law, no person is considered guilty until a court has delivered a verdict.
Information compiled based on material published on pmo.ee.
Source: Apollo