Greek police appear to be making significant progress in the investigation into the double murder at a campground in Finikounda, Messenia. Authorities have traced the route of the scooter used by the suspect to flee the scene and believe they may soon confirm his identity.
Speaking on Saturday morning (October 11) to SKAI TV, police spokesperson Konstantia Dimoglidou said, “We may be approaching identification. We have visual contact with the perpetrator—the cameras saw him.”
Officers have not ruled out the possibility that the gunman had an accomplice, as there are indications he did not approach the area alone. “We are not yet close to an arrest,” Dimoglidou clarified, “but perhaps to identification. If he has entered the Athens basin, we are talking about a much larger search area.”
Experienced killer and obstacles in the search
Despite progress, police face challenges tracking down the suspect, who is believed to have experience in such crimes. Investigators estimate he escaped via rural backroads without surveillance cameras. When he stopped to refuel his scooter, he reportedly kept his helmet on to avoid being identified.
Authorities are also examining whether the killer carried a mobile phone during his escape — a detail that could help pinpoint his movements. At the same time, police are investigating whether he acted alone or if there was a moral instigator who may have ordered or encouraged the attack.
The will opens new leads
A crucial development came on Friday (October 10), when the will of the 68-year-old victim was opened at the Pylos Magistrate’s Court. Written just three days before his murder, it leaves over 95% of his estate to his nephew — the sole witness to the killing and a key figure in the investigation.
The will includes a reference to “a sudden death,” suggesting the victim feared for his life after surviving two attacks in the previous twenty days. He describes his nephew as “a very good and hard-working young man,” noting that threats against him had prompted changes to his will and the exclusion of some relatives.
The 68-year-old also left about 8,500 square meters (2 acres) of land near the beach to the campground’s caretaker, who was also killed in the attack. His sister and niece were left out of the inheritance, according to MEGA.
Police have also secured an earlier will, drafted in 2024, and have requested its immediate opening, believing it could shed further light on the motive. Meanwhile, investigators continue to chart the suspect’s escape route on the black scooter spotted leaving the scene.
