Police Cadet Detained Over Double Murder

Police Cadet Detained Over Double Murder

Published: May 15, 2013 (Issue # 1759)

ST. PETERSBURG (SPT) — St. Petersburg police detained a local 20-year-old police cadet on Sunday after he admitted to stabbing to death the family of a drug enforcement officer on Saturday night.

News of the brutal murders broke after the officer came home from his night duty on Sunday morning to find the dead bodies of his 38-year-old wife, 12-year-old son and the family’s dog. Each of them had a number of knife wounds, Interfax said.

Soon after, police discovered that a young police cadet, Ilya Komarov, a fourth-year student at the St. Petersburg Interior Forces Military Institutewho lived downstairs from the family, was involved in the murders. He then confessed to the murders, saying he committed them in a fit of rage.

According to Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin, Komarov entered the apartment of his upstairs neighbors, allegedly to take a look at their bathroom plumbing, complaining of a leak. Some time later, he had a dispute with the wife and lost his temper, said Ria Novosti.

Investigators also claim that Komarov then took jewelry from the apartment and fled.

“Komarov revealed the place where he had hidden jewelry stolen from the apartment, as well as blood-stained clothes and the knife. The investigator has seized those objects as evidence,” the Russian Investigation Department said in a statement.

Murder charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.

Investigators said Komarov’s girlfriend, who was living in the same apartment building, had also argued with the drug enforcement officer’s wife in the past. “We’re not ruling out that charges could be pressed against her [Komarov’s girlfriend] as a co-conspirator,” Markin said.

Meanwhile, a special commission led by commander-in-chief of the Interior Troops, Nikolai Rogozhkin, has made a decision to fire four officers from the St. Petersburg Interior Forces Military Institute, who were direct authorities of Komarov. Two others will be downgraded.

Rogozhkin and a group of officers flew to St. Petersburg on Sunday night as soon as they heard that a police cadet was suspected in the crime.

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