Man Kills Another With Axe in Central Belgrade, Then Waits for Police

A 26-year-old man was detained on the morning of June 3 after, according to early unofficial accounts, he killed another person with an axe in a house behind the old Beograd brewery (BIP) in central Belgrade. The killing took place around 7 a.m.

The suspect did not flee. By the information available so far, he remained in the house and waited for police, surrendering, as reported unofficially, without resistance. The identity of the man who was killed was still being established at the time of publication.

What is known about the investigation

A large number of police patrols and forensic teams were sent to the scene. The crime-scene examination is under way, and the house where the body was found has been sealed off with police tape.

According to unofficial accounts, the suspect described to officers how the killing occurred and said he had used an axe. Those claims still have to be confirmed by the official investigation, as police at this stage are gathering evidence and statements.

In cases of this kind, the sequence is well established:

• forensic teams secure and document the scene
• the victim is identified and the time of death determined
• the suspect is questioned in the presence of a defence lawyer
• the competent prosecution decides on further measures

Until the examination is complete, police usually do not disclose details, so as not to compromise the rest of the procedure.

Why wait for the official version?

The first reports from a crime scene are, as a rule, incomplete. The motive, the relationship between the suspect and the victim, and the exact course of events in this case are not yet known, so any interpretation before an official statement remains speculation.

What is known is that the suspect was detained at the scene and is now in police custody. Once the examination is over, he is expected to face a criminal complaint, after which the competent prosecution will decide on possible detention and on how the offence is classified.

An official statement on the circumstances of the event and the identity of those involved is expected from the competent prosecution once the crime-scene examination is completed.

The house behind the old BIP building sits in a densely populated part of the city, only a few hundred metres from streets that thousands of people pass through each morning. The location in central Belgrade drew the attention of passers-by, whom police kept at a distance while the examination went on.

Details of what preceded the killing will be known only once the authorities finish their work on the ground and release official findings. How important do you think it is for the media to wait for confirmed facts in cases like this before publishing details?