A family is enduring its second devastating loss in the span of just eighteen months. Twenty-five-year-old Penelope was murdered in Igoumenitsa by her 27-year-old ex-boyfriend on the evening of Sunday, September 20. According to reports, Penelope had lost her father approximately a year and a half ago. Today, her family — and especially her mother — must face yet another unimaginable loss: the violent death of a 25-year-old woman whose professional life had only just begun.
Read also: Femicide in Igoumenitsa: Who was 25-year-old Penelope, killed by her ex-boyfriend who traveled to the city to meet her
Penelope was a biologist and graduate of the University of Patras, with a deep passion for the sea and a keen interest in marine biology and ichthyology. Most recently, she had been working as a biologist at a fish farming facility in Sagiada, Thesprotia. Her career was essentially just getting started, and she continued to expand her knowledge in oceanography and marine environmental monitoring.
Femicide in Igoumenitsa: They had broken up about a month before the murder
Penelope’s relationship with the 27-year-old had ended approximately one month before the killing. She was living and working in Thesprotia, while her ex-boyfriend remained in Athens. According to reports, the 27-year-old traveled to Igoumenitsa specifically to meet her.
After the crime, he claimed to authorities that a financial dispute of €1,900 existed between them, alleging that Penelope owed him that amount. This is solely his assertion and is under investigation; it has not been established as the motive for the murder.
Their meeting ended in tragedy. The 27-year-old attacked his former partner with a knife and left her bleeding at the first shelter along Igoumenitsa’s cycling path. A passerby discovered Penelope and immediately alerted authorities. An ambulance from the National Emergency Medical Service (EKAB) arrived on the scene, where paramedics confirmed her death.
Forensic findings
The forensic examination findings paint a stark picture of the ferocity of the attack Penelope endured. According to information available so far, the 25-year-old sustained multiple stab wounds to different parts of her body. Wounds were identified on her chest and back, along with two deep lacerations to her neck, as well as a wound to her leg. The forensic findings have been incorporated into the case file as authorities work to accurately reconstruct the final moments of the young woman’s life.
The “four masked attackers” scheme
Following the murder, the 27-year-old did not turn himself in to authorities. Instead, according to investigative findings, he attempted to present an entirely different version of events — one in which he portrayed himself as a victim.
After fleeing the scene, he reportedly hid behind bushes. Just five minutes after the first emergency call reporting the injured woman, he himself called the police emergency line. “Four hooded men attacked us to rob us — they hurt me and my girlfriend. I’m not far from the scene, come find me,” he reportedly told officers.
Police located him nearby and found that he had wounds on his body which, according to reports, were self-inflicted.
The 27-year-old was taken to the hospital, where officers began questioning him. As they pressed for more details about the alleged attack, contradictions in his account began to surface. The “four masked attackers” story started to unravel.
The confession and the claim he “blacked out”
Ultimately, the 27-year-old confessed to killing Penelope. He then led police to the location where he had discarded the knife, which was subsequently found and seized.
Regarding what led up to the killing, he reportedly claimed that the two had argued and that he “blacked out,” while also citing the €1,900 financial dispute. Authorities continue to investigate the exact circumstances and motive behind the crime. The 27-year-old remains hospitalized under police guard.
