A nation in shock is following the harrowing developments surrounding a femicide that took place on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in Nea Smyrni—a southern Athens suburb. A 48-year-old man fatally shot his 45-year-old partner before turning the gun on himself. The suspect, who was married and had a 19-year-old daughter from that marriage, left behind a fractured web of grief: his estranged wife, his teenage daughter, and the family of the woman he killed.
Breaking Point: A Relationship Ending in Tragedy
According to sources close to both individuals, the couple had been in a relationship recently—but the woman had decided to end it. Her decision, reportedly made in late February, appears to have triggered escalating tension. Her 45-year-old daughter told authorities that her mother had confided in her about growing concerns over the man’s behavior—including extreme jealousy and repeated emotional pressure.
“I knew Mom had been in a relationship recently. She told me she’d broken it off by the end of February. She was worried about how he behaved—constantly causing problems. She said he was obsessively jealous,” the daughter recounted. She added she wasn’t home during the incident, having traveled to Agrinio with her uncle. “She probably told him more—maybe to protect me. I don’t know. I’m in shock.”
‘I Lost My Father, But He Committed Murder’
The suspect’s daughter, a 19-year-old university student, spoke to Live News in raw, tearful disbelief. “I’m devastated—I can’t believe my father did this. He *is* my father, and I’ll miss him deeply. But at the same time, I can’t overlook what he did: he became a murderer. He took someone’s life—and robbed another young woman of her mother. I’m psychologically shattered by all this. I bear no responsibility, and I truly empathize with the pain of the other girl. In truth, we’re all victims here.”
She pleaded for compassion and privacy: “I wish this story could end now—so we can calm down, respect each other’s grief, and mourn the people we love, each in our own way.”
Final Hours and Haunting Goodbyes
In the hours before the crime, the 48-year-old withdrew into isolation. His godmother described his final day: he spent long stretches alone in his room, then visited his daughter that evening. There, he told her quietly, “You might not see me again.” When she asked, bewildered, “Dad, what are you saying?”, he offered no further explanation.
He returned home around 4 a.m., woke his wife, and told her, “Come here.” Before leaving, he placed money beside her and said, “Take care.” Surveillance footage from the building on Gregoriou Kydwnion Street is now under forensic review by police.