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Investigation of case against Russian professor charged with killing student concluded

The criminal case has been sent to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office

Oleg Sokolov Pyotr Kovalyov/TASS

Oleg Sokolov

© Pyotr Kovalyov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. The investigation of the murder case against Russian historian Oleg Sokolov, charged with killing Anastasia Yeshchenko, a postgraduate student of the St. Petersburg State University, has been concluded, Russian Investigative Committee Spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko informed TASS on Wednesday.

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Historian Sokolov sent for psychiatric evaluation as part of murder investigation

"The Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee has concluded the investigation of a criminal case against former associate professor of the St. Petersburg State University Oleg Sokolov charged under Article 105 Part 1 and Article 222 Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code (Murder, Unlawful purchase and possession of weapons)," Petrenko said. "The criminal case has been sent to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office to determine the indictment."

In the early hours of November 9, 2019, St. Petersburg historian Oleg Sokolov, born in 1956, was rescued from St. Petersburg's Moyka River with a backpack containing human body fragments. More remains were later found at his apartment. A criminal case was opened on murder charges.

Sokolov’s victim was identified as Anastasia Yeshchenko, a postgraduate student who had been Sokolov’s co-author in joint studies and had an intimate relationship with the academic. Yeshchenko, born in Russia’s Krasnodar Region, graduated from St. Petersburg State University three years ago and went on to become a postgraduate student. In court, the suspect confessed to the murder on grounds of a personal conflict.

Three days after the criminal case was launched, another bag with fragments of Yeshchenko’s body was found in St. Petersburg's Kirovsky district.

The historian underwent a psychiatric evaluation and was confirmed sane.

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