A harrowing testimony has emerged in the investigation into a fatal domestic homicide that took place in Nea Smyrni, Athens, in the early hours of Sunday, 23 August 2026. A 48-year-old man shot and killed his 45-year-old partner before turning the weapon on himself. The victim, a woman born in Albania in 1981, held Greek citizenship and worked for a food delivery company. She lived in a multi-unit apartment building in Nea Smyrni.
Chilling Prior Warnings
The victim’s sister spoke to newsit.gr, revealing deeply disturbing details. She said the suspect had repeatedly threatened her sister — even showing her the revolver he intended to use to kill her. ‘He was a bad man, consumed by jealousy,’ she stated. ‘Melina had asked for help many times — even reached out to our brother, pleading with him to protect her. Our brother changed the locks on her door, but it wasn’t enough to save her.’
The sister added that threats were not isolated incidents: ‘It wasn’t the first time he’d threatened her. Our brother told me he’d explicitly said he would kill her — and showed her the revolver. He waited for her under her building as she left for work. There are no words… She leaves behind a 16-year-old daughter, three siblings, and a mother who is now utterly broken. What do we tell her daughter? Thankfully, the child wasn’t home at the time.’
Mother’s Grief and Shock
The victim’s mother, speaking through tears and with a trembling voice, expressed disbelief and devastation: ‘I know nothing. My daughter had rented an apartment here — that’s all I know. Another daughter called me to break the news. I don’t even know where my granddaughter is right now. It’s been two months since I last spoke with my daughter — and she never mentioned this relationship. She’d been separated from her ex-husband for years.’
Surveillance Footage Confirms Sequence of Events
According to preliminary findings, the suspect — described as Albanian-born and residing in Kallithea — waited outside the victim’s building before opening fire. Security cameras installed in the apartment complex captured the incident, aiding police in quickly reconstructing events. The footage shows a heated argument followed by multiple gunshots. The man fired at the woman’s head and body, then turned the revolver on himself. The weapon was recovered beneath his body.
The suspect was married with two children. Authorities have launched a thorough review of his social media activity as part of the ongoing investigation.