New details about the vendetta between two families in Vorizia, Heraklion, which led to a deadly massacre, were revealed by the father of Fanouris Kargakis, who was killed by gunfire from the rival family. The Kargakis and Fragiadakis families had been involved in another dispute a year ago at a social event, according to what Kargakis’s father told ERT. However, a “mediator” intervened to achieve a “truce” and prevent the matter from escalating. At the same time, he accused the other family of breaking the truce. “They say he returned fire. These are all lies,” he said, adding that he found no weapon in his son’s car and that it was an ambush. The brother of 56-year-old Evangelia Fragiadaki, the second victim of the vendetta, also gave his version of events. “We want the matter to calm down,” he emphasized.
Vorizia vendetta: “They set up an ambush for my son”
“They had set up an ambush for him – it’s lies that we returned fire,” said Fanouris Kargakis’s father clearly. According to the 39-year-old’s parents, their child was receiving gunfire from different points in the village. “My son entered the village to feed the sheep. They had set up an ambush for him and were ‘playing’ from all around. The TV stations come out and say he was returning fire. These are all lies,” the father declared. He even emphasized that he found no weapon in the car when he reached him. According to the Kargakis parents, gunfire had been directed since morning at even their relatives’ houses by members of the Fragiadakis family.
The parents revealed that the two families had clashed again a year ago at a social event where there were injuries. As they said, mediators intervened at that time to make a truce and prevent the incident from reaching the authorities. “In the same place where they killed my son, they stabbed my grandson. Mediators came in to fix things, so we wouldn’t go to the police,” the 39-year-old’s father mentioned, claiming that the agreement was violated by the other side.
The Fragiadakis family’s version
Conversely, the brother of 56-year-old Evangelia Fragiadaki, who was killed presumably by gunfire from Kargakis’s 43-year-old son-in-law, who allegedly was shooting with a Kalashnikov, claimed that the Kargakis family was the one that opened fire. “We neither threaten nor anything. We want the matter to calm down and this tragedy to end, if they want it too,” he said. Describing the fatal day, he mentioned that the family had gone to see their nephew’s house that had been blown up and that, shortly after, they came under fire while returning to the village.
23-year-old “bomber” to testify Monday
Ballistic examinations of the weapons seized by police are in full development, as finding the weapons used in the two murders is crucial for the outcome of the case. Otherwise, the defendants may face different criminal treatment.
Finally, next Monday the 23-year-old alleged “bomber” of the Fragiadakis house is expected to testify, with authorities considering it almost certain that he did not act alone.
