News

The Tver Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continue investigation in a crime under part 1 of article 105 of the RF Penal Code (murder) after 15-year-old Darya Stepanova went missing. Experienced criminalists of the Main Criminalistics Department of the Russia’s Investigative Committee and operatives of the Main Crime Detection Office of the Russian Ministry of the Interior joined the investigation.

On 4 June 2015, the investigative team found the skeleton of the missing girl in the woods in Staritsa District, Tver Region. The scene was investigated thoroughly using modern forensic equipment.

During well-planned and carried out investigative and search operations the investigators identified three suspects, two of whom were previously convicted of personal crimes. At present all of them have been detained. One of them was held in a pretrial prison on suspicion of another crime. Another of the accomplices in person showed the investigators the place where the girl’s remains were left.

On 7 March 2015, about 5:38 PM, Darya Stepanova left a shop located in the village of Chemical Institute in the city of Tver, but never returned home. During three months a set of investigative and search operations were underway to find out all circumstances of the girl’s disappearance and to locate her. The investigators analyzed statements of witnesses about the girl’s last whereabouts. Based on those statements and other materials they made a scheme of the girl’s movement around the village of Chemical Institute. Darya was actively searched for in other districts of Tver and Tver Region. During the whole period the search involved officials of the Investigative Committee, the police – crime detection operatives, district police officers, dog handlers with search dogs, rescuers of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, with divers, volunteers and local residents providing considerable aid. The entire territory of the village of Chemical Institute, including abandoned buildings, houses, attics and basements, sewer system, wells, groves were examined many times. The riverside of the Volga river was examined as well. Residents of the village were questioned.

At present a number of investigative operations are underway to find out all the circumstances of the crime, to gather and consolidate the evidence. The investigation is ongoing.