The search for 43-year-old Eleftheria Giakoumaki in Heraklion, Crete, has ended in tragedy after her body was discovered this afternoon in the backseat of her car.
Exclusive SKAI footage shows the moment the woman was found in the village of Agia Varvara, covered with a carpet inside her vehicle.
Initial findings point to homicide, as the victim had sustained gunshot wounds. Police immediately cordoned off the area and sealed the scene as a forensic investigation began.
The prime suspect
Authorities are focusing their inquiries on the victim’s 39-year-old former partner. According to police sources, investigators are examining the following sequence of events:
The couple is believed to have met near the Church of Agios Panteleimon, approximately 200 metres from the location where CCTV last captured the woman driving her car. A heated argument is then believed to have broken out inside the vehicle. Investigators assess that the suspect fatally shot the woman during the confrontation and subsequently moved her body to the backseat in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The investigation remains ongoing as forensic analysis of evidence from the scene continues.
Key developments in the ongoing investigation
According to police sources, the 39-year-old former partner is believed to have shot the woman inside her car before driving the vehicle to a remote location, where he later took his own life.
The victim’s son has stated that the couple had been experiencing significant tension prior to their separation, a factor that had already led authorities to examine all possible scenarios regarding her disappearance.
Investigation and vehicle findings
While initial search efforts -assisted by specially trained dogs- focused on the mountainous area of Mount Juktas, the victim’s car was eventually located elsewhere.
Investigators have also uncovered key evidence regarding the suspect’s movements in the days leading up to the crime:
- Damaged tyres: On the night before the woman went missing, the suspect is believed to have slashed the tyres of her vehicle. The act was reportedly captured on a nearby home security camera, and the victim herself became aware of the damage.
- Alleged pretext: The following day, the suspect is said to have replaced the tyres, potentially using the incident as a pretext to meet her.
Final communication
A crucial element in the timeline is a text message sent by the 43-year-old to her daughter at around 7:00 PM on Sunday, in which she said she was “going for a short drive and would not be long.”
The message was not seen by her daughter until the following morning. According to the victim’s son, the family immediately raised the alarm once they realized something was wrong.
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