A 43-year-old woman found shot dead in her car on the large island of Crete will be interred on Friday, as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding a case that has shocked the country and is being treated as a suspected femicide.
Her funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. at a church in the village where she lived.
The woman, a mother of three, was found dead inside her vehicle in a remote area after being reported missing earlier in the week. Investigators say she had been shot in the head at close range.
Former partner suspected in killing
Greek police believe the killing was carried out by her former partner, a 40-year-old man who later died by suicide. According to the investigation, the suspect was seen in the area where the woman disappeared and was later found dead in a separate location.
Authorities say evidence suggests a violent and controlling relationship between the pair, which had recently ended. Witness accounts describe jealousy and attempts by the man to monitor the woman’s movements, including the reported installation of a GPS tracking device on her vehicle.
Timeline of events
The case began when the woman left her home, telling her children she was going out briefly. Her car was later tracked moving through nearby rural areas before her disappearance.
Shortly after, the suspect was seen with visible injuries and later gave conflicting explanations for how he had been hurt, first referring to an accident involving an animal and later to a traffic incident.
Investigators believe the two met on the day she disappeared, and that the attack occurred inside or next to her vehicle. Her body was later moved to a more isolated location, along with her car, in what authorities say appears to have been an attempt to conceal the crime scene.
Messages sent after the killing
Police also reported that a message was sent from the victim’s phone after her death to one of her children, suggesting she would make contact later — an act investigators believe was intended to delay alarm being raised.
Investigation continues
Authorities are continuing to piece together the final movements of both individuals, with forensic findings and digital evidence playing a key role in the investigation.
Family members of the victim had expressed concern from the outset, insisting she would not have left without contacting her children.
