Divers recover phone of murdered Olga Vasilieva from sea off Moni, Limassol

Limassol, Cyprus. Divers have recovered the mobile phone of 61-year-old Olga Vasilieva from the sea in the Moni area, as police press on with their murder investigation, according to reports on Wednesday. The phone has been seized and is undergoing examinations, Philenews reported.

Search based on a tip-off

The search for the device was carried out after information provided by Vasilieva’s 43-year-old partner, who has since confessed to killing her. Moni was the location from which her phone sent its final signal on the afternoon of October 21.

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Discovery of the body

Vasilieva’s body was found on Sunday in a well in a remote field in Moniatis. She had been reported missing for over a week. Her partner is the main suspect in the case.

Confession and alleged motive

The man first denied any involvement, but later admitted the murder and told police where he had left the body. Investigators have established so far that the killing took place amid a dispute over money. The 43-year-old had pressed Vasilieva for about €70,000, saying he needed it to pay compensation for a car accident he had caused. Police found no record of any such accident.

He subsequently admitted that he had lied in order to extort the money, though he put the amount at between €15,000 and €20,000.