Life Imprisonment Without Parole for Double Murder in Bulgarian Village

Chavdar Boyadzhiev has been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole by the Sofia City Court for the brutal killings of 18-year-old Yana Velinova and 27-year-old Ivo Kolev in the Bulgarian village of Lozen. He was also found guilty of the murder of 22-year-old Mariela Sirakova a year earlier. Additional charges include extortion and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The investigation was led by the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs under the supervision of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office. The indictment was filed on January 20, 2025, and on May 5, the court handed down the maximum sentence in a summary trial without the questioning of witnesses or experts.

The court found that on April 6, 2022, Boyadzhiev had intentionally killed Mariela Sirakova in an especially brutal manner. For this murder, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

On August 3, 2023, he murdered Yana Velinova, a crime that was committed while a previous murder charge was still pending. The court ruled that due to the nature of the crime and the circumstances, the sentence would be life imprisonment.

On August 4, 2023, Boyadzhiev attempted to extort Ivo Kolev, demanding money through threats and physical violence. When Kolev resisted, Boyadzhiev killed him as well. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole for this crime.

Additionally, Boyadzhiev was convicted of illegally acquiring and possessing firearms and ammunition, receiving a three-year prison sentence for this offense.

The court upheld all civil claims made against Boyadzhiev in full, concluding that the severity and brutality of the crimes warranted the harshest possible punishment under Bulgarian law.