Suspect in Olt suitcase case brought from Switzerland: Gheorghe Vlăduț Bălțățeanu detained
The 30-year-old man suspected of killing a 28-year-old woman whose body was found in a suitcase on the Olt River has been brought to Romania from Switzerland.
Main suspect in Olt suitcase case repatriated from Switzerland following international manhunt
The 30-year-old man from Vâlcea county, suspected of killing the young woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase floating on the Olt River, was brought to Romania on 6 October 2026, according to ProTV News. The Romanian Police took him into custody following cooperation with Swiss authorities and transported him to Vâlcea county for enforcement of the arrest warrant for preventive detention issued in absentia.
"On 6 October 2026, the Romanian Police brings into the country a 30-year-old man from Vâlcea, subject to an international manhunt, for committing the crime of murder," announced the Romanian Police on Tuesday. International cooperation was realised through the International Police Cooperation Centre within the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.
The suspect, identified as Gheorghe Vlăduț Bălțățeanu, had presented himself voluntarily at the police in Saint Gallen, Switzerland, on 28 September 2026, around 23:00. The Vâlcea Court had previously issued an arrest warrant for preventive detention in absentia in his name, with him being charged with murder.
Body discovered by a fisherman in the area of Ionești Dam
The spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Vâlcea Court, prosecutor Adrian Vrăbete, clarified that police officers from the Vâlcea County Police Inspectorate were contacted by telephone by a person fishing on the banks of the Olt River, in the area of Ionești Dam, Vâlcea county. This person had discovered a bag floating on the surface of the water with a body inside.
The victim was identified as a 28-year-old woman, originally from Dolj county, who was living without legal status in a commune in Vâlcea county. A post-mortem examination established that death was violent and dated from 21 September 2026, and multiple traumatic injuries were identified on the victim's body.
Blood stains found in suspect's residence
Before issuing the arrest warrant, investigators carried out a search at the suspect's residence. On that occasion, on a mattress in the room used by the suspect and the victim, multiple stains of a brownish-red substance that appeared to be blood were discovered.
"Samples of these traces were collected in a sterile environment in order to subsequently establish the nature and origin thereof," the investigators stated.
Prosecutor Vrăbete had previously clarified that at the time of the discovery of the crime, there was information that the suspect had left the territory of the country. He will now be taken to Vâlcea county for the fulfilment of judicial procedures, according to News.ro, cited by ProTV News.
Source: Știrile ProTV