A community in Chania, on the Greek island of Crete, gathered in mourning to say goodbye to 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki, whose death has shocked relatives, friends and residents of the area.
The funeral service was held in Varypetro, where those who knew her struggled to come to terms with the violent loss of the woman. Many attendees called for justice and the strictest possible punishment for the man who has confessed to her killing.
The suspect, a 43-year-old man who was renting a property from the victim, is now facing a serious criminal case as the judicial investigation continues.
43-year-old suspect to appear before investigator
The 43-year-old is scheduled to appear before an investigating magistrate on Friday, June 26, to give his statement over a series of charges.
He is facing accusations including intentional homicide, computer fraud, illegal possession and use of weapons, drug-related offences, and the burial of a body without the required permission.
The timeline of the case
Leventaki’s disappearance was first reported after her family lost contact with her. Her brother officially reported her missing on June 7, after noticing she was absent following his release from hospital.
Police focused their investigation on people close to the 45-year-old woman and examined her final movements. Suspicion soon turned toward the 43-year-old tenant after authorities identified inconsistencies in his statements during repeated police questioning.
Investigators say he attempted to mislead the investigation and even tried to implicate the victim’s brother, who was confirmed to have been in hospital at the time.
Evidence led to confession
The case was solved after forensic laboratories matched blood traces found inside the suspect’s vehicle and home with those of Stavroula Leventaki.
Faced with the evidence, the 43-year-old confessed on the morning of June 21.
During his confession, he directed police to a rural area around nine kilometres from his home, where he had buried the victim’s body. According to his statement, after the killing he transported the body in his van in an attempt to hide evidence of the crime.
The farmland the tenant owned in Vatolakkos. (ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΑΓΓΕΛΑΚΗΣ/EUROKINISSI)
