Photo of Novica Elek's Killer Released in Surcin
The brother of murdered Novica Elek described chasing the attacker after the Surcin shooting, while police sent the bicycle used in the escape for DNA and fingerprint testing.
A photo pulled from security camera footage was released today, September 1, showing a man suspected of murdering Novica Elek in Surcin. The same day, the victim’s brother, Zoran Elek, spoke publicly for the first time, describing how he ran out into the street the moment he heard gunshots and tried to catch the attacker as he fled on a bicycle. Police have also sent that bicycle for forensic testing to recover DNA and fingerprints.
How the Murder Happened
Elek was killed in front of his family home on Marka Raba Street in Surcin in the evening, shortly before 9 p.m. Telegraf, Espreso and Informer report the victim was 43, while Kurir puts his age at 45.
According to a reconstruction described by sources, the attacker waited for hours, hidden in the dark near the house. Informer reports he had rented an apartment close to Elek’s home for that purpose. Elek was driven to the house by his wife, who was present during the attack. As soon as he stepped out of the car in the driveway, the attacker ran out of hiding and opened fire. Elek tried to take cover behind the car, but the gunman caught up with him and fired another shot into his head at close range.
Sources differ on the weapon and where the final shot struck: Kurir reports it hit the temple, while Informer writes that the attacker used a Heckler type firearm.
”He Was Within Reach”: Brother Describes the Chase
Zoran Elek described the night of the murder in a statement to Telegraf, after identifying his brother’s body at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
I heard several shots, looked at the camera, saw what was happening and ran straight out into the street! I saw a young man running away, I ran after him, he was within reach, but he managed to get on a bicycle and escape!
He says he only saw the attacker from behind.
I saw him from behind. He was wearing a sports shirt, sports shorts and sneakers. As far as I could tell, he was riding an ordinary bicycle, not an electric one. It seemed to me that he was close enough for me to catch him, but he was actually several meters away, and he fled toward Vojvodjanska Street.
Zoran Elek also said his brother had shown no signs of being in danger before the murder.
We worked together every day, and I would have known if Novica had been receiving threats or if someone had been following him.
Who Is the Suspect and What Is Known About the Manhunt
Based on descriptions from witnesses and police sources, the attacker was:
- a younger man, around 30 years old
- dressed in a tight black shirt and black shorts
- wearing glasses, and Telegraf and Espreso report he had surgical gloves
- last seen fleeing by bicycle toward Vojvodjanska Street, where he ditched it in a nearby street
Police recovered the bicycle and sent it for forensic analysis to determine whether it carries any biological trace or fingerprints. Authorities have also launched a police operation named Vihor 3, under which Homicide Department inspectors are collecting and reviewing security camera footage from the neighborhood. Informer reports that while lying in wait, the attacker was in frequent contact with someone who was several hundred meters away at the time, which investigators say points to the possibility that he did not act alone.
The duty prosecutor from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade and police inspectors are reviewing the footage alongside the victim’s contacts, in an effort to establish a motive.
Elek’s Prior Convictions
Novica Elek had been known to law enforcement for years. He was among those charged over the robbery of a Sekjuritas cash transport in Belgrade in March 2011, in which about 800,000 euros was stolen. The Appellate Court gave him a final acquittal in 2014, citing lack of evidence.
In 2016, after an argument with his then wife in Surcin, Elek shot her in the legs. A first instance verdict of four and a half years in prison was handed down only in 2019, but the Appellate Court later overturned it and sent the case back for retrial, so no final ruling on that charge was ever reached. Police records also linked Elek to illegal drug trafficking, though no charges were ever filed on that basis.
Srpske Novine previously reported on the murder itself and the early stages of the manhunt for the attacker. The investigation is now entering a new phase with the released photo and the bicycle sent for forensic testing, while police continue searching for the suspect.
