The murder of 25-year-old Penelope in Igoumenitsa, who died on Sunday night (September 20), has sent shockwaves through the community. According to the medical examiner’s report, the woman suffered 10 stab wounds, which were determined to have been inflicted by her ex-partner, who ultimately confessed to the heinous crime.
He claimed that a heated argument had preceded the incident, adding that they had met on the bike path to resolve some financial disputes. However, before confessing, the 27-year-old attempted to mislead the authorities by reporting that he and the woman had been attacked by four individuals whose faces were covered, who then fled the scene. Following a scenario that appeared to be inspired by the murder of Caroline by Babis Anagnostopoulos, he not only reported a false attack, but to make the story even more convincing, he inflicted injuries on himself.
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READ ALSO: “We can’t believe it”: Mourning for Penelope, who was murdered in Igoumenitsa by her ex-boyfriend
At 9:44 p.m., the 27-year-old called the police to report the incident, saying “Two people have been stabbed by four unknown assailants,” and to ask for help. Five minutes earlier, the Hellenic Police had been notified about a young woman who was unconscious. Shortly after his call, the 27-year-old was found injured by police officers, who managed to locate the knife, with which, as it was revealed, the man stabbed Penelope following a heated argument. In fact, as he was leaving the scene of the murder, he threw away the weapon in an attempt to cover his tracks. The call to the authorities was made at 9:44 p.m., five minutes after the police received the first report regarding the 25-year-old woman, though the 27-year-old man was unable at that moment to specify his exact location.
The man was then initially transported by an EKAV ambulance to the Igoumenitsa Emergency Department to receive first aid and subsequently to the Filiates General Hospital, where he is being treated under guard, though his life is not in danger. He is expected to remain in the hospital today as well, since one of the wounds he inflicted on himself is deeper.
According to information from protothema.gr, the forensic examination revealed that the 25-year-old sustained two deep wounds to the neck, bruises on her back and chest, wounds to her abdomen and leg, as well as a defensive wound on her left arm. According to the same reports, the suspect allegedly attempted suicide and sustained a deep wound to his left lung.
As has been reported, the 27-year-old man and the 25-year-old woman had been in a relationship in the past, but had broken up about a month ago; authorities are now also examining the history of their relationship as part of the investigation into the events leading up to the murder.
“A very good girl who had never caused any trouble”
A former colleague of Penelope’s speaks highly of her, describing her as “a very good girl who had never caused any trouble.” “She had been working at the company for over a year. It’s a tragic event, and we’re trying to come to terms with what has happened,” a colleague of the 25-year-old told protothema.gr. “She was a well-educated young woman and very good at everything. She had studied biology and a few other subjects; she was a well-educated young woman and was working in her field at the mussel farm,” she added.
“He claimed he owed the young woman some money; we’re still investigating the motive.”
The president of the Thesprotia Police Officers’ Association, Vasilis Nakos, revealed that the accused “claimed he owed the young woman some money and came to settle the debt, but then she said something to him and he lost his temper.” “A heinous crime has been committed. I would like to express my condolences to the young woman’s family,” said Mr. Nakos.
He then described what happened on Sunday night, when Penelope was murdered: “The Hellenic Police headquarters was notified that a young woman was lying on the ground. Immediately afterward, someone called and said, ‘Two people have been stabbed by four unknown assailants.’ The first patrol car went straight there, cordoned off the area, and searched for the person who had called and said they had been stabbed. The entire police department was mobilized, all stations under the Thesprotia Police Department, and off-duty officers from the Security Division and the Criminal Investigations Division were immediately notified to report to the scene. After a short while—20 to 30 minutes—a person was found who had been stabbed. He said they had been attacked and was taken to the hospital with injuries. There, his colleagues obtained a confession that he was, in fact, the one who stabbed the young woman. He cited financial disputes as the reason, though we are still investigating the motive. Since last night, police have been gathering all the evidence so that the case can be presented to the investigating judge and the prosecutor with a “complete” case file. The murder weapon was found this morning. The Hellenic Police mobilized immediately, and the officers—who have been working since yesterday, even off-duty—acted like true professionals.”
The 25-year-old’s employer, Stavros Tokas, described Penelope as “a very good girl, quiet, wonderful” and noted that she had been working at the company for the past year. “We’re all devastated. I couldn’t imagine how this could have happened or why,” he added.
“What can I say about this girl… She wanted to work and learn new things. She was a biologist, she had told us she was leaving us and going to Athens to continue her studies with a master’s degree, with the dream of advancing in this field and in our industry,” said Mr. Tokas.
“When she first came to work here, she mentioned that she was in a relationship with a young man from Athens. She didn’t say anything else about it. She hadn’t told me absolutely anything about her personal life. Even though I’d told her that if she needed any help here, she should ask me, she never asked me for anything,” he noted.
Source: Proto Thema
