The man who has confessed to killing 61-year-old Olga Vasilieva kept her body at his home for a whole night before taking it to her field in Saittas and dumping it in a cesspit.
The 43-year-old appears to have believed that, because she had a limited social circle and no relatives in Cyprus, her disappearance would not prompt the authorities to act quickly, giving him time to leave the country.
His movements after her photograph was published as a missing person on 28 October appear to support this. In the early hours of the next day, he bought plane tickets to Beirut and packed his belongings into four suitcases, ready to leave on 30 October. He was stopped by the authorities at Larnaca airport that afternoon, before he could board.
Confession
The man, with whom Olga had been in a relationship for the past five months, confessed on Saturday evening and showed investigators the cesspit. According to forensic pathologist Nicolas Charalambous, the body was in the early stages of decomposition. The post-mortem examination found that she died of a very severe head injury caused by a blow with a blunt instrument.
In his statement, the man said he killed her with a hammer. He claimed she insulted him while they were at his home, and that he became angry and hit her on the head. He also said he threw the hammer onto a wooden pergola at his home.
Motive
Investigators are convinced that financial disputes were the motive. They believe the man knew Olga was wealthy from her property investments and tried to exploit her financially, using a supposed traffic collision to get money from her. Large cash withdrawals she made a few days before she disappeared are also under investigation.
How the alarm was raised
Olga’s lawyer and close friend, Pambos Ioannou, played a key role in the investigation. He became worried after hearing that her dog was barking persistently in her flat and she could not be reached. He said she never left the dog alone, which made him suspect something bad had happened to her.
On 23 October, Ioannou went to her home with police, who found the dog malnourished. Her son, who lives in Russia, was then contacted, and this revealed her relationship with the man. The son sent a photograph of the man with his mother’s dog, which was handed to the authorities and helped lead investigators to him.
Ioannou described Olga as a good person and businesswoman who was in love with the man and tried to help him, including with his behaviour and outbursts of anger. He said she had at times voiced fears that people might try to exploit her because of her wealth.
Investigation continues
Investigators expect to take about 80 statements. They are examining CCTV footage, phone data and bank accounts, and further searches are planned at four locations. The authorities are also expected to work with Interpol.
