Heavy charges have been brought against the 43-year-old man from North Macedonia who has confessed to the murder of 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki in Chania, on Crete. The victim’s family has also filed legal complaints, including one against the suspect’s wife.
The suspect is charged with intentional homicide, illegal burial, and violations of weapons legislation.
Before surrendering to authorities, the suspect reportedly expressed remorse, saying he wanted to apologize both to Leventaki’s family and to his own. “I regret it. I want to apologize to the victim’s family and to my family,” he reportedly said, according to a report by Star TV.
At the same time, the victim’s brother has filed a lawsuit against the suspect’s wife, accusing her of making statements that insulted the memory of the deceased woman. He also intends to pursue legal action against the defendant for defamation, claiming there was an attempt to implicate members of his family in the case.
The family’s reaction followed a public statement by the suspect’s wife, who reportedly said that the 43-year-old “could not possibly have had a relationship with the victim,” while, according to the victim’s relatives, using offensive descriptions of Stavroula. The remarks sparked outrage and led to the family’s immediate legal response.
The Suspect’s Final Conversation With His Wife Before His Arrest
For 22 days, he appeared before television cameras and allegedly staged a performance in an effort to mislead investigators.
On Tuesday morning, with his head lowered, wearing a bulletproof vest and escorted by officers from a special police unit, the 43-year-old was brought before the Chania courthouse. He was granted time to prepare his defense and is scheduled to testify on Friday. His appearance triggered strong reactions from members of the public gathered outside the building. The defense argued that the death of the 45-year-old woman resulted from a heated argument and physical altercation, without any intent to kill. This claim is expected to form the cornerstone of the suspect’s testimony.
The suspect is reportedly attempting to shift responsibility onto Stavroula. According to the victim’s brother, his wife has done the same, prompting an emotional reaction from the family.
Conversations between the suspect and his wife shortly before his arrest have now come to light. At the time, the search for the missing woman was still ongoing, and the 43-year-old appeared visibly anxious.
Wife: “I love you. Don’t worry. We’ve hired two or three lawyers. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
43-year-old: “I’m hiding, my love. I don’t want to go to prison.”
Wife: “You won’t go to prison. They haven’t found anything on us.”
43-year-old: “I won’t go to prison?”
Wife: “Don’t worry at all. You won’t. We won’t let that happen. We’ve hired lawyers.”
The Victim’s Final Video
According to a report by Newsit.gr, security camera footage captured the final known movements of Leventaki before her murder.
The footage, recorded on May 30 at 4:18 p.m., shows the 45-year-old walking along the road leading to a residence in Varypetro, a village outside Chania, where the 43-year-old suspect was living.
The woman is seen carrying shopping bags and heading toward the house. The camera follows her route for approximately one minute as she walks nearly 80 meters before disappearing from view.
