Investigative Committee Oversees Murder Probe of 9-Year-Old

The central apparatus of the Russian Investigative Committee has taken control of the investigation into the murder of a 9-year-old boy in St. Petersburg. On February 3, the head of the agency, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed the head of the St. Petersburg department to report on interim results.

The investigation established that on January 30 around 14:00, a child named Pasha left his home in the Krasnoselsky district of the city and did not return. On the same day, the boy got into a car with an unknown man, after which contact with him was lost.

The car owner was detained in the Pskov region. The suspect confessed to the murder and indicated that he hid the body in a water body in the Lomonosovsky district of the Leningrad region. On the night of February 3, the child«s remains were found by volunteers and local residents.

A criminal case on the murder of a minor has been initiated in connection with the tragedy. Investigators conducted searches, inspected the suspect«s car, and examined information carriers. On the suspect»s computer, materials with child pornography were found.

According to the detainee, he offered the boy in the car a monetary reward for intimate services. The child allegedly agreed, but then began to blackmail, threatening to tell about it. In response, the man hit him, causing the boy to start wheezing and vomiting, leading to death.