The Russian Couple’s Unsolved Murder
It’s been more than five years now since a Russian couple were brutally murdered and dismembered.
Some parts of their bodies were found on a beach and in the sea.
But like a few other murder cases in the country, their deaths are also unsolved by Police.
Yuri Shipulin and his wife, Natalya Gerasimova are believed to have left their farm in Kachiqari in Nadi after midday on June 16, 2016.
They were believed to have been seen in Denarau later that same day having some drinks.
Their business partner, Andrew Luzanenko, who is also from Russia and lived with them on the farm reported them missing.
Findings
Police started investigations and the next evening (June 17), the couple’s vehicle registration PILOT was found not far from Natadola Beach in Sigatoka.
But there was no sign of the couple.
As investigations continued, local Police sought assistance from INTERPOL because there were talks, or rather rumours, the couple had left the country in a yacht.
But little did anyone know that all these would be dispelled on June 24 the same year when a pair of feet was found on Natadola Beach.
DNA tests held later confirmed they were of Mr Shipulin.
Two days later, another pair of feet was found and they were believed to be of Ms Gerasimova.
The pair of feet was wrapped in green netting.
On August 3, 2016, a New Zealand couple at the beach made a horrifying discovery.
They saw a decapitated head wrapped in green netting as well, which were of the same type in which the pairs of feet were wrapped.
Following these discoveries, Police knew that the couple had been brutally murdered and dismembered.
And they also knew that the body parts would have been thrown in the sea and the tide had washed the feet and head to the beach.
They decided then to search the nearby waters for more body parts.
Police were later told by a villager about seeing something stuck on a reef some distance away while he was out diving.
Police divers went to the reef and recovered something that was wrapped in green netting, similar to the earlier discoveries.
It was the part of a body which was believed to have been severed from below the navel to just above the knees.
This was later confirmed to be of Ms Gerasimova.
What stood out in the discoveries was the green netting in which the body parts were wrapped and the same kind of fishing line that held the parcels together.
Further searches were carried out by the Police dive time in surrounding waters, but there were no other reports from the investigating team.
Funeral one year later
In July 2017, the couple’s family members came from Russia and held a private service for them at the Greek Orthodox Church in Saweni, Lautoka.
This was one year after the couple’s disappearance and discovery of some of their body parts.
Fiji Sun senior reporter, Charles Chambers, had reported then that a coffin was carried into the church but he couldn’t ascertain whether it contained the couple’s body parts that were discovered one year earlier.
The burial was held at the Balawa Cemetery in Lautoka.
Questions remain
With more than five years now, the question remains unanswered is who killed the couple in such a gruesome manner.
Was it been the work of locals or was there an involvement of contract killers from overseas?
If locals were involved, then would they have dismembered the bodies, took the time to wrap them up in nettings, tie the parcels with fishing line and throw them in the sea?
And what wrong would they have done to locals who may have got so frustrated that they went to that extent of killing them and disposing their body parts?
Or is it that there was an involvement of contract killers from overseas, who sought the assistance of a local and paid him good money to keep quiet for the rest of his life?
These questions may probably never be answered considering that it’s been more than five years now since the murders happened.
Right now, the latest technology being used by Police detectives overseas is tracking the mobile phone numbers and call records of the victims.
They also narrow down to see which mobile numbers were active at or near the crime scene at that particular time.
But do we have the technology and the capability to do the same here to solve this case and the other unsolved cases in the country?
While Police say they are still investigating the double murders, the use of technology in solving cold cases is another area that must be pursued.
In July 2017, the couple’s family members came from Russia and held a private service for them at the Greek Orthodox Church in Saweni, Lautoka. This was one year after the couple’s disappearance and discovery of some of their body parts.