Man, 41, Killed Near Ivanjica; Suspect Arrested in Arilje

The body of Mile P., 41, was found yesterday morning in the village of Opaljenik near Ivanjica, killed with two shots to the head inside his own family home. The attacker fled the scene after the killing, and police found and arrested him in nearby Arilje following a manhunt that lasted more than ten hours.

In brief

• The body of Mile P., 41, was found on September 15 at his family home in Opaljenik, with two gunshot wounds to the head.
• He was last seen the previous evening at the village tavern, which he left around midnight.
• The suspect was arrested that same afternoon in Arilje, after the village was sealed off and a manhunt lasting several hours.

Body Found in Bed, Cartridge Case Next to the Victim

Mile P. was found in his bed with two gunshot wounds to the head. A single spent cartridge case was found next to the body, while the weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered. The on-scene investigation and forensic work were carried out the same day.

A source familiar with the case described the circumstances of the discovery to Informer:

Mile P. was with the villagers at the local tavern until late last night. He left from there, and on the way people saw him talking to an unknown man. He was found dead in his bed this morning, and a pistol cartridge case was found next to him. The gun that was fired has not been found.

The same source says the victim did not own a firearm himself, so it is assumed the cartridge case belongs to the attacker. That assumption has not been officially confirmed so far.

The Last Night at the Village Tavern

According to villagers, Mile P. sat at the village tavern in Opaljenik until late on the evening before the murder. He left the tavern around midnight. Some villagers say that on his way home he was seen talking to a man no one in the village recognized.

A neighbor who described the previous evening to the 24sedam portal also pointed to a possible cause of the conflict:

He was a really good man, a hard worker. Everyone in the village respected and loved him. We heard that he and the suspect were sitting in the tavern the evening before and that some argument broke out, they say over raspberries. Afterward, both of them left the tavern, and then we found out about what happened.

The disagreement over raspberries is being mentioned in the village as a possible trigger, but the investigation has not officially confirmed a motive. The same neighbor added that Mile P. “lost his father only 40 days ago.” That detail differs from accounts given by other sources, according to which the victim had been living alone in the house since his mother died a few months earlier. Which of the two versions is accurate has not been clarified for now.

Is the Suspect a Local?

Sources also disagree on who the suspect is. In the early hours of the manhunt, while the village was under lockdown, the RINA agency reported that the man being sought was not a local resident but had only been staying in the village temporarily. After the arrest, the 24sedam portal reported the opposite, that the suspect is also from the area.

The suspect’s name has not been released so far.

Arrested in Arilje After a Ten Hour Manhunt

Immediately after the body was found, police sealed off the approaches to the village and began combing the area, working on the assumption that the attacker had not left the area and was armed. The manhunt lasted more than ten hours before the suspect was intercepted on a village road and arrested in the Arilje area in the afternoon of September 15. He was taken to a police station after the arrest.

A source familiar with the course of the manhunt shared unofficial claims about the motive with RINA:

After an efficient manhunt, the killer of Mile P. from Opaljenik near Ivanjica was found and arrested in Arilje. The motive for the murder is still not known for now, but word around the village is that it involves a dispute over raspberries.

The competent prosecutor’s office has not yet issued an official statement on the course of the investigation or on what the suspect is charged with.

Who Was Mile P.

According to villagers, Mile P. had been living alone in the house in Opaljenik since his mother died a few months earlier. Neighbors describe him as hardworking and honest.

Mile had serious money. He worked tirelessly and saved. He didn’t waste money or invest in anything. He was an honest man from a good family.

Villagers say that the fact that Mile P. had spent years saving money, combined with the disagreement at the tavern before the murder, is one of the circumstances behind the assumptions being made in the village about the motive. There has been no official confirmation, and the rest of the investigation is being led by the competent prosecutor’s office.