Three Suspects Arrested In Viktorov Murder Case
Published: October 3, 2012 (Issue # 1729)
Three suspects in the murder last month of Alexander Viktorov, rector of the St. Petersburg Service and Economics University, were arrested Sunday, including the alleged hitman.
According to the St. Petersburg police, the detention was made with the help of special forces, Interfax reported.
The three men, who are suspected of being the hit man, an accomplice and the organizer, respectively, are St. Petersburg residents Vitaly Kovalyov, 38, Vyacheslav Makarov, 31, and Novokuznetsk resident Andrei Yeliseyev, 38, Delovoi Peterburg reported.
All three men reportedly have criminal records, and Yeliseyev, who is suspected of carrying out the shooting itself, has previously been sentenced for a contract killing.
Sergei Umnov, head of the St. Petersburg police, said at a briefing Monday that the killers had been paid one million rubles ($32,180) for the murder. At least 600,000 rubles ($20,000) went to Yeliseyev, who had bought a new car with the money, Fontanka.ru reported.
Police believe the murder was connected to Viktorov’s professional activities, and are currently investigating who ordered the hit, Interfax said.
Viktorov was fatally shot near his house in the town of Vsevolozhsk in the Leningrad Oblast on Sept. 5. The killer fired five shots, hitting Viktorov four times. Viktorov’s wife was also injured in the shooting.