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Russia professor admits murder after woman's arms found in bag | Russia professor admits murder after woman's arms found in bag |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A well-known Russian historian has confessed to murdering his lover, his lawyer says, after he was found in a river with a backpack containing a woman's arms. | A well-known Russian historian has confessed to murdering his lover, his lawyer says, after he was found in a river with a backpack containing a woman's arms. |
Oleg Sokolov, 63, was drunk and fell into the river as he tried to dispose of body parts, Russian media said. | Oleg Sokolov, 63, was drunk and fell into the river as he tried to dispose of body parts, Russian media said. |
Police then found the decapitated body of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24, at his home in the city of St Petersburg. | Police then found the decapitated body of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24, at his home in the city of St Petersburg. |
Prof Sokolov is a Napoleon expert who has received France's Légion d'Honneur. | Prof Sokolov is a Napoleon expert who has received France's Légion d'Honneur. |
"He has admitted his guilt," his lawyer Alexander Pochuyev told AFP news agency, adding he regretted what he had done and was now co-operating. | |
Prof Sokolov reportedly told police he had killed his lover during an argument and had then sawn off her head, arms and legs. | |
He is said to have planned to get rid of the body before publicly taking his own life dressed as Napoleon. | He is said to have planned to get rid of the body before publicly taking his own life dressed as Napoleon. |
Mr Pochuyev said Prof Sokolov - who has been receiving hospital treatment for hypothermia - may have been under stress. | Mr Pochuyev said Prof Sokolov - who has been receiving hospital treatment for hypothermia - may have been under stress. |
What do we know about the victim? | What do we know about the victim? |
Ms Yeshchenko moved to St Petersburg to study from Krasnodar region in southern Russia, and was a postgraduate student at the time of her death. | Ms Yeshchenko moved to St Petersburg to study from Krasnodar region in southern Russia, and was a postgraduate student at the time of her death. |
"She was quiet, sweet and always the ideal student," an acquaintance told Ria news agency. "Absolutely everyone knew about their relationship." | "She was quiet, sweet and always the ideal student," an acquaintance told Ria news agency. "Absolutely everyone knew about their relationship." |
She studied French history and co-authored several historical works with Prof Sokolov. The couple enjoyed wearing period costumes, with Prof Sokolov dressing up as Napoleon. | She studied French history and co-authored several historical works with Prof Sokolov. The couple enjoyed wearing period costumes, with Prof Sokolov dressing up as Napoleon. |
Russian media report that her mother was a police lieutenant colonel and her father a school PE teacher. She had a brother who once played as a goalkeeper for the national junior football team. | |
The papers here are full of details of this murder, the tragic and gruesome tale of a brilliant and beautiful young student shot and dismembered by her 63-year old former professor-turned-lover. | |
In these accounts, Oleg Sokolov emerges a historian whose interest in Napoleon bordered on the obsessive. He had a glittering CV as a respected expert on French military history who'd been visiting professor at the Sorbonne. He was also a major figure in the world of historical re-enactment. | |
One friend told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that he'd organised costume balls and picnics, as well as recreating battles. | |
But organisations he's been linked to have now scrubbed his name from their websites. | |
Anastasia Yeshchenko's three-year-long affair with the married professor was common knowledge at the university. Friends say she was a top student, highly intelligent, who shared her lover's passion for Napoleonic history. One person described the professor as "eccentric but not aggressive"; others claimed he considered himself Napoleon reincarnate. | |
Anastasia's brother told RBK Media that she called him in tears in the early hours of Friday morning, saying the couple had had a furious row sparked by the professor's jealousy. She was planning to spend the night in a student hostel. | |
At 01:49 the two spoke again, and Anastasia told her brother she was fine. It was the last anyone heard from her. | |
And the suspected killer? | And the suspected killer? |
Students described Prof Sokolov as both a talented lecturer who spoke French and did impressions of Napoleon and as a "freak" who called his lover "Josephine" and asked to be addressed as "Sire", AFP reported. | Students described Prof Sokolov as both a talented lecturer who spoke French and did impressions of Napoleon and as a "freak" who called his lover "Josephine" and asked to be addressed as "Sire", AFP reported. |
He was also a member of France's Institute of Social Science, Economics and Politics (Issep), which on Saturday said it had removed him from his position on its scientific committee. | He was also a member of France's Institute of Social Science, Economics and Politics (Issep), which on Saturday said it had removed him from his position on its scientific committee. |
"We learn with horror... the atrocious crime of which Oleg Sokolov is guilty," it said in a statement. | "We learn with horror... the atrocious crime of which Oleg Sokolov is guilty," it said in a statement. |
"We could never imagine that he could commit such an odious act," the statement added. | "We could never imagine that he could commit such an odious act," the statement added. |
Issep was founded by Marion Maréchal, the niece of far-right National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen and a former lawmaker for the far-right National Front party. | Issep was founded by Marion Maréchal, the niece of far-right National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen and a former lawmaker for the far-right National Front party. |