Bulgaria's Prosecution Will Not Press Charges against 2nd Suspect in Sofia Park Murder

Charges will not be pressed against Nikolay Rusinov, the second man arrested on suspicion of killing 28-year-old Yana Krasteva. Photo by BGNES

Charges will not be pressed against Nikolay Rusinov, the second alleged killer of a young woman in in a downtown park in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov said Wednesday.

The investigating authorities have concluded that "at this stage there is no evidence implicating Rusinov in the murder of 28-year old Yana Krasteva".

According to Kokinov, the evidence collected so far "leads to the only conclusion that the real murderer is already under arrest".

On Friday, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov stated in Parliament that there was "indisputable proof provided in the exert statement" that Rusinov had participated in the murder, citing a DNA profile.

The Sofia City Prosecutor acquainted journalists with Rusinov's version of the events that led to the death of the young girl.

In his words, the man had met Yana one day before, the two had danced, enjoyed themselves, drank plenty of alcohol, and had sex near the place where she was found dead.

Rusinov had allegedly left Yana sleeping in the bushes at around 05:30 a.m and had gone home.

According to Kokinov, Rusinov's account is confirmed by the data already collected in connection with the murder case.

His location has been verified through the cells of a mobile operator and, combined with other physical evidence, proves that he left Yana alive.

"The fact that hairs of Plamen Trifonov, the first man arrested on suspicion of killing Yana, were found in her hands, further reinforces Rusinov's innocence", the Sofia City Prosecutor said during his Wednesday media statement.

Trifonov had either followed Rusinov and Krasteva, Kokinov informed, or he had just come across the sleeping girl and had taken advantage of her.

The prosecutor explained that a number of expert analysis were yet to be completed and it could not be said with certainty whether Trifonov had raped the girl.

Rusinov himself has attributed his flight from Bulgaria to a panic attack.

In his words, 3 or 4 days after hearing the news about the murder, he had grown anxious that he would be accused of participating in the violent act.

Kokinov refused to comment whether the Interior Ministry had jumped the gun by declaring Rusinov an accomplice, adding that "in Bulgaria the rule of law dictates that a criminal defendant is pinpointed by the prosecution".

Yana Krasteva was found dead on July 10 in Sofia's central park Borisova Gradina. She had been beaten and then choked to death shortly after a rock concert on the Bulgarian Army Stadium the previous night.

According to the investigation, the two suspects initially attempted to rape Krasteva. However, as they tried to cover her mouth in order to mute her screams, they strangled her.

Plamen Trifonov was the first man detained in connection with the murder.

However, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov insisted in a statement in Parliament that the murderers had been two.

On the same day, the Interior issued an arrest warrant for Rusinov, who was apprehended at Sofia Airport on July 26.

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