"Has caused a strong insult": accused of killing a St. Petersburg activist Grigorieva confessed

In St. Petersburg, 28-year-old Alexey Volnanko, accused of killing 41-year-old LGBT activist Elena Grigorieva, told law enforcement officials about the motives for the crime. Video with his recognition hit the social network on August 2. As the assistant to the head of the department of the St. Petersburg Investigative Committee for Media Relations, Snezhana Shabelnik, told RT, the video was filmed while checking the testimony of the detainee at the crime scene. The man claims that at the time of the quarrel with Grigorieva he was very drunk and “lost his temper”.

“[Grigoriev to me] has insulted too much. Being drunk, I lost my temper. She said that I can not do anything, that I am a sucker, <...>, and I started beating her, ”Volnanko said.

On July 21, the body of LGBT activist Elena Grigorieva with traces of knife wounds was found in bushes near a residential building on Pulkovskaya Street. Initially, a 38-year-old Kyrgyz-born Davron Mukhamedov, who drank alcoholic beverages with Grigorieva, was arrested on suspicion of murder. However, Mukhamedov claimed that he did not touch the girl. He also pointed out to the investigators Alexey Volnenko, who eventually confessed to the crime.

“In the course of conducting investigative actions with the suspect [Mukhamedov], the latter confessed to committing a robbery against a local resident, and also gave testimony exposing the person who actually committed the murder of the above-mentioned woman. As a result of a complex of investigative actions and operational investigative measures, the information presented by the suspect has found its objective confirmation, ”the IC Insurance Office in St. Petersburg informed.

According to the Investigation Committee, Volnanko had previously been convicted of drug trafficking. Local media write that in May 2019, at the Moskovskaya metro station, police found a prohibited substance with a man. Volnanko was sentenced to six months conditional labor. It was also reported that until recently he worked as a storekeeper in an electronics store.

The first detainee in the murder case Grigorieva was never released from custody - during interrogations Mukhamedov confessed that in July he had committed theft, attacking one of the residents of the area.

“He [Mukhamedov] was not released from custody, is now in jail. After a confession to the crime, he was charged under Art. 161 of the Criminal Code, robbery. He confessed that he attacked a local resident and robbed him. The case was singled out in a separate proceeding with preservation of the measure of restraint, ”explained RT representative of the St. Petersburg SU SK Snezhana Shabelnik.

According to investigators, on the night of July 20 to 21, Elena Grigoryevna first drank with Mukhamedov in the apartment of one of the houses on Lensoveta Street, and then continued drinking alcoholic beverages from Volnanko, in the courtyard on Pulkovskaya Street, where the murder took place. At some point, a quarrel broke out between them, and the man first beat Grigoriev, and then struck her with at least eight stabs in the back and face.

After that, Volnanko disappeared from the scene of the crime, and the murder weapon - a knife with a wooden handle - was thrown into the bushes near his house. The weapons were fingerprints of the attacker.

The murder of Grigorieva caused a great resonance, in social networks, many expressed the opinion that they had dealt with a woman because of her civil position.

According to a number of LGBT activists, before her death, Elena allegedly received threats from the Pyla against LGBT movement, harassing members of the LGBT community. Name Grigorieva hit the "shooting list", published on the website of the movement in early summer. Recently the site was blocked by Roskomnadzor. After Elena's death, other persons involved in the list declared threats addressed to themselves and turned to law enforcement agencies for help.

However, during the investigation, the version of the murder of Grigorieva by the supporters of Pila did not find support from Petersburg investigators. In view of the confessions given by the detainee Alexei Volneanko, the version of the murder on the basis of personal dislike as a result of the quarrel remains the main one.

“At this stage of the investigation, yes, this is the only considered version. But the investigation is ongoing. He [Alexey Volnenko] admits guilt and tells everything, ”explained RT Snezhana Shabelnik.

Some of her friends do not believe that Elena Grigorieva was killed because of her protest activities. As one of the activist’s friends told the SPB Diary publication, Grigorieva spoke with dubious companies and also used drugs.

“Believe me, now not one of our mutual acquaintances believes that she was killed because of her protest activities. She always had criminal companies, and the fact that sooner or later this could end, we spoke at the beginning of the 2000s. Percent on 90 it is sure that it was made by someone from acquaintances. When a person lives in such a get-together ... What are the versions? Maybe I owed money to someone, ”the source said.