Forensic examination has reportedly found traces of DNA of Zak Kostopoulos on “his” knife but not his fingerprints. “The fingerprints are insufficient and not identifiable,” media report on Tuesday citing police sources.
“The knife’s size was too small,” media write citing police lab technicians. Therefore the identification of the partial fingerprint was not possible.
It should be noted that among those who altered the piece of evidence, the knife, were also police officers who where holding the knife with bare hands.
An eye witness had said that also another man had taken the knife and threatened Kostopoulos with it.
The Police sources did not explain neither what kind of traces were nor how they were found on the knife.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, state broadcaster ERT reported that it was two blood spots found on the knife that enabled the DNA identification.
It should be reminded that after being brutally beaten with kicks half outside the jewelry shop and being injured also by the broken window glasses, the LGBT activist had lied on the street and had left his blood all over.
So far there has been no official statement on the DNA finding by the Greek Police and some media criticize the leaks to the the press.
“DNA traces may come from blood, hair, skin,” to pontiki notes stressing that the knife was claimed to be found on Kostopoulos who was dying bleeding on the street, inside the jewelry shop he allegedly intended to rob and who knows where else. The magazine accuses the police for being extra sloppy with securing the crime scene and evidence.
The owner of the jewelry shop was pictured to clean the crime scene with a broom short after Kostopoulos died on the way to the hospital.
The brutal beating of Zak Kostopoulos and his following abuse by police shocked the Greek society last month.
The initial claim was that it was “just a junkie armed with a knife who went to rob a jewelry shop.” Had there no be footage shot in the scene and had Kostopoulos not be a known-activist, a human being would have found a brutal death and nobody would care.
The Bar Association of Thessaloniki published a decision in which it expresses concern about the circumstances of the tragic death, condemning the police violence against the dying 33-year-old, the abuse reports by some Greek media against the dead and the attacks against his family lawyers.
The autopsy could not determine the exact causes of Zak Kostopoulos death, a brain swelling was found though. Laboratory tests are expecting to shed light, they are expected towards the end of the month.
