The body of a 45-year-old woman missing in Crete was found by police officers on Sunday. The body was wrapped with plastic bags and was buried in a field.
A 43-year-old man from North Macedonia, who had come under police scrutiny in recent days as the prime suspect in the disappearance of 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki from the Varypetro area of Chania, Crete, has confessed to the crime.
The woman’s body was discovered approximately nine kilometres from her home, buried in a field where the suspect had allegedly concealed it.
The man had been questioned by police on three separate occasions. When he realized that investigators were closing in on him, he disappeared on Friday morning. Following a search operation, he was located and arrested on charges relating to the cultivation of 13 cannabis plants on land he maintained.
On Saturday, he appeared before an investigating magistrate and prosecutor, where he was granted until Tuesday to prepare his defense. Throughout the day, officers from the Chania Security Directorate and the Homicide Division continued questioning him. After initially denying any involvement and refusing to admit to a crime, he eventually confessed during the early hours of Sunday.
Stavroula Leventaki had been missing since 30 May from the Varypetro area of Chania. After her brother reported her disappearance, police investigations focused on the wider area and included repeated interviews with several individuals including the foreign national who was renting the house he was living in from the woman.
The victim had allegedly visited the house to check its condition and possible damages as agreed on the lease contact.
The perpetrator accused the victim of attacking him first and revealed that he hit her 3 times and in different ways to make sure she was dead. The confessed perpetrator admitted that he hit her in the head, believing that she would die instantly. A few seconds later, when he heard her regain consciousness and scream for help, he stabbed her with a kitchen knife in the heart.
A specialized forensic team from Athens had travelled to Chania to collect evidence from the suspect’s residence. According to current indications, the case appears to be nearing resolution, particularly following DNA testing of bloodstains discovered both inside the property and in a commercial vehicle linked to the suspect.
The arrested man had claimed to had sexual relations with the victim and that she was confronted him with jealously scenes. he claimed further that he and the victim had a casual sexual relation.
Investigators are continuing their inquiries in order to establish the motive behind the crime and clarify the exact circumstances surrounding the killing.
