Authorities are now investigating whether the murder of Stavroula Leventaki in Chania, Crete, was also driven by financial motives. According to a report by ANT1, the 45-year-old had recently sold a property asset and had come into possession of €50,000. Police are now examining whether the perpetrator knew that Stavroula Leventaki had received this sum and whether it provided additional motive for the crime. According to the same report, the 45-year-old had intended to give the money to her parents, who are facing both health issues and financial hardship. However, there is no indication from her family that she ever handed over any amount. On the contrary, €14,135 was found inside the suspect’s container — located on the field where the 45-year-old was found buried — with €5,000 discovered in one spot and €9,135 in another. The perpetrator claims he was in a romantic relationship with the victim, a claim that authorities are skeptical of. Three possible scenarios are currently on the table: first, theft of the money before or after the murder; second, a loan that could not be repaid; and third, voluntary transfer of funds through persuasion.
Read more: Stavroula Leventaki murder: Her brother lashes out at the North Macedonian suspect’s wife — “Instead of being grateful he didn’t slaughter her too, she comes out and insults her”
Stavroula Leventaki: The suspect’s defense and the autopsy findings
The main suspect in the murder, a 43-year-old North Macedonian national, has confessed to killing 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki. His formal court defense is scheduled for Friday, June 26. Meanwhile, his wife — both in a televised statement and in conversations with her husband while he was in hiding — appeared particularly hostile toward the Cretan victim. The autopsy conducted on June 22 has already revealed blunt force trauma to the head, most likely caused by a wooden log, as well as superficial knife wounds to the chest. Stavroula Leventaki is believed to have entered the 43-year-old’s home for the last time — a visit he initially claimed lasted only two to three minutes.
