A shocked Greece is following the harrowing case of 45-year-old Stavroula Leventaki, whose disappearance ended tragically in Chania on 21 June 2026. A 43-year-old man from North Macedonia — her tenant — confessed to her murder after breaking under police questioning.
Confession and Crime Details
The suspect admitted he fatally stabbed Leventaki near the heart and struck her on the head with a heavy object during a heated argument over the condition of the rented property. He claimed she spoke to him in a demeaning manner, causing him to ‘lose control’. According to his statement, the attack was not premeditated but occurred in the heat of the moment.
After killing her, he wrapped her body in plastic bags, loaded it into his car, and buried it in a field on his own land — approximately five kilometres from the crime scene. He then returned to the house, cleaned blood from the floor, and destroyed the property’s security cameras to eliminate evidence.
Discovery of the Body
Once the suspect revealed the burial site, forensic experts and an examining magistrate rushed to the location. There, they recovered Leventaki’s body — found adjacent to the spot where cannabis saplings had previously been discovered during an earlier investigation that led to the suspect’s initial arrest.
The forensic examination confirmed two fatal injuries: one to the head and another to the chest. Official results are pending and will determine the precise cause of death.
Motive Under Scrutiny
The suspect continues to insist the killing was impulsive, triggered solely by the victim’s allegedly insulting remarks about the apartment. However, authorities remain unconvinced by this explanation. Investigators have not ruled out possible sexual motives, and the case remains under active review.
Video footage of the recovery site is available here.