The disappearance of 45-year-old Stavroula Levendaki from Chania, Crete — now entering its 20th day — has evolved into a high-profile criminal investigation. The primary suspect is her tenant, a man in his 40s originally from North Macedonia, whose own whereabouts have vanished.
Key Suspect Vanishes After Police Interviews
The tenant, who has given multiple statements to police regarding Levendaki’s disappearance, has not been seen at his Chania residence since Thursday afternoon. According to Vasilis Lambropoulos, an investigative journalist with Live News, authorities now believe Levendaki likely died within hours of her disappearance.
Although no incriminating evidence has been publicly confirmed against him, his sudden disappearance has elevated his status to that of the main suspect. After his most recent police interview, he drove to the Agia area of Chania — about 5–6 km from his home — parked his car, and left his mobile phone switched on before vanishing. His last known location was recorded that Thursday afternoon.
Last Known Contact
The tenant claims he was the last person to see Levendaki alive — one day before her disappearance — and that their brief meeting lasted only two or three minutes. He said she came to collect rent, appeared calm, carried two bags — one transparent, containing eggs — and left shortly after placing them on the sofa. He insists there were no personal tensions between them and even described their relationship as friendly: they occasionally sat outside together, shared beers, and joked with one another.
He also stated that Levendaki had serious difficulties with her brother — a rift he confirmed was longstanding and well-known among those close to the family.
Contradictions and Unanswered Questions
His account, however, contains inconsistencies. In one version, he claimed Levendaki called him on 29 May at 1:30 p.m., and arrived at his apartment at 4:45 p.m., saying she needed to catch a bus at 5 p.m. In another, he said their encounter occurred the day before her disappearance — not on the day itself. When asked by investigators for CCTV footage from his building, he claimed the recordings had been deleted.
He also recounted how Levendaki once entered his home unannounced, took photographs, and told him she was being tormented by her parents — claiming they refused to cooperate with each other. He described her as emotionally unstable, saying, “Everyone knows she’s a crazy woman,” and recalled past arguments over eviction.
“I hope nothing happened — so we can all finally breathe easy,” he told Live News, adding, “She’s turned our lives upside down.”