News

The investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee for Krasnodar Territory have finished investigating a criminal case against 42-year-old resident of the town of Apsheronsk charged with killing a father superior of Svyato-Pokrovsky Temple of the town of Belorechensk (part 1 of article 105 of the RF Penal Code), intentional damage of his property by arson (part 1 of article 167) and stealing the victim’s car (part 1 of article 166).

According to investigators the man had divorced the priest’s niece. A court had ruled most of their property in favor of the woman and restricted the man from meeting with their children. The defendant thought that the priest had influenced his ex-wife. On 19 October 2013, the man arrived to the priest’s house to prevent his ex-wife from going to court. During the conflict the man grabbed a stone and hit the priest several times on the head and strangled when he fell down. To hide the traces of the murder, the man set the priest’s house afire. Then he put the priest’s body in the trunk of the priest’s car and drove away. However, on his way the man lost control of the car and crashed in a tree.

The investigators have gathered enough evidence, so the case has been forwarded for the indictment to be approved and then will be sent to court to be tried on the merits.