Man accused of murdering 9-year-old Pasha in court

On February 3, Pyotr Zhilkin was brought to the Oktyabrsky District Court on Pochtamtskaya Street in St. Petersburg. He was handcuffed, his head was bowed, and his face was hidden under a hood — the same appearance he had in a video from the corridors of the Investigative Committee.

The man is charged with an especially grave crime — the murder of 9-year-old Pasha. Police detained Zhilkin in Pskov on the third day after the child«s disappearance, on February 2. The accused stated that he intended to surrender to the investigator on his own.

According to the investigation, on January 30, Pasha, from a large family in the Krasnoselsky district, did not return from a walk. According to Zhilkin, he noticed the boy near the Lenta hypermarket on Tallinskoye Highway and persuaded him to get into the car by offering to buy something tasty.

Inside the car, the accused allegedly offered the child an intimate service for 5,000 rubles (approximately $55 at current rates). In response, the boy demanded 500,000 rubles (approximately $5,600 at current rates) for silence. According to the investigation, Zhilkin struck the boy with a backhand and beat Pasha until he fell silent. After his arrest, he told what he had done with the body.

During the court hearing, Zhilkin pleaded guilty. He stated that he had no prior convictions, had a 9-grade education and a daughter, but could not name his place of registration.

The investigator insists on placing the accused in pre-trial detention.