Vasilieva murder suspect remanded for further eight days

A 43-year-old Syrian man who confessed to killing 61-year-old Olga Vasilieva was remanded in custody for a further eight days by the Limassol district court on Monday. The man admitted killing the 61-year-old with a hammer at her home on October 21 before moving her body to a pit in the Saittas-Moniatis area the following day. He informed investigators of his six-month relationship with Vasilieva and directed police to the locations where he discarded her belongings, including her handbag and mobile phone. The phone was recovered from the sea near Moni by divers, while the handbag was found in a clothing recycling bin. Police have so far taken 40 witness statements and carried out eight searches. They are also examining dozens of CCTV recordings, with a further 35 statements and at least three searches still pending. Investigators are awaiting forensic results and information from the examination of the victim’s and suspect’s bank and telephone records. A decision on whether to charge the man with murder or manslaughter will follow once the investigation is complete.