The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki in Chania, Crete, ended tragically after 22 days of investigations, with her 43-year-old tenant confessing to her murder and showing police where he had hidden her body.
The woman’s body was found in a field in the area of Vatolakkos, Chania. According to authorities, she had suffered severe injuries, was bound and had her mouth covered with tape.
The 43-year-old man, who rented a property from Leventaki, was considered a key suspect from the beginning. During questioning, he admitted that the attack took place inside the house.
(ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΑΓΓΕΛΑΚΗΣ/EUROKINISSI)
“We argued over damage to the house,” suspect reportedly told police
According to information from the investigation, the man claimed that the incident followed an argument over damage in the home.
“She came to the house again. She started making comments about some damage that existed. We had a very bad argument, I hit her in the head, she fell to the floor and I injured her with a knife. I had not planned it. Everything happened inside the house,” he reportedly told police.
However, investigators are also examining information suggesting that the motive may have been personal.
According to reports, Leventaki and the 43-year-old had been involved in a romantic relationship. The man wanted to end the relationship because he had started seeing another woman. Leventaki reacted strongly and threatened to reveal the relationship to his wife, which may have led to the fatal attack.
The investigation and the evidence that led to the confession
From the early stages of the investigation, the tenant was considered the main suspect. Forensic findings played a decisive role, with traces of blood reportedly found on items inside the home, including the television, the floor, a mop and the man’s vehicle.
Police say that after the killing, the 43-year-old transported the body by car, covering a distance of around 10 kilometers in approximately 13 minutes before burying it in farmland he owned in Vatolakkos.
The area where the body was found was near a location where he was reportedly growing cannabis plants.
The farmland the tenant owned in Vatolakkos. (ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΑΓΓΕΛΑΚΗΣ/EUROKINISSI)
The suspect is being held and is expected to appear before a prosecutor, facing a charge of intentional homicide.
A 22-day effort to mislead authorities
Before his confession, the 43-year-old had publicly presented himself as unaware of what had happened, attempting to distance himself from the disappearance.
For more than three weeks, he spoke to the media and investigators, saying he hoped Leventaki was safe and claiming that she had left his home shortly before disappearing.
In previous statements, he described her as someone who was difficult to understand and suggested she had behaved unpredictably. He also said they spent time together and drank beers.
As pressure had increased before his confession, the 43-year-old attempted to suggest that people from Leventaki’s family circle were threatening him.
He claimed that his life was in danger and said he had been threatened by her brother and another person.
The case is now moving into the legal process, while authorities continue examining all aspects of the investigation.
