Bulgaria announces arrest in Viktoria Marinova murder case
A man has been arrested for the rape and murder of television presenter Viktoria Marinova, a news conference in Sofia was told on October 10.
The suspect was identified as Severin Krassimirov (21) of Rousse, who had been held in Germany after leaving Bulgaria two days after the murder. Marinova was found dead on October 6.
Interior Minister Mladen Marinov said that tests had confirmed the presence of DNA from Krassimirov on the body of Marinova as well as her possessions. DNA from Marinova had been found on the clothes of Krassimirov.
Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov said that possessions stolen from Marinova during the attack had been found at Krassimirov’s home in Rousse.
Krassimirov’s home was close to the crime scene, Marinov said.
Asked about motive for the attack, Tsatsarov said that investigators were following all lines of inquiry.
A German court is to hear an application to begin proceedings to extradite Krassimirov to Bulgaria.
The joint news conference, by Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, Marinov and Tsatsarov, was broadcast and streamed live by several Bulgarian media. The Marinova murder case has been in the headlines in international and Bulgarian media since news of the killing broke on October 7.
Marinov said that Krassimirov had a criminal record for the theft of non-ferrous metals.
Borissov praised the Interior Ministry and prosecutors for the work done on the case, but criticised the media for the pressure that it had put on the institutions, saying that this could have obstructed the investigation.
