Miroslav Ilic on Cousin's Death: 'He's My Favorite Brother'

Miroslav Ilic has spoken publicly about the death of his cousin, his uncle’s son. The man, who died at 64, is referred to by most outlets only by his initials, M.I., while Srpskainfo names him as Milomir, known as Mikica, Ilic. Here is what the singer told Republika, Kurir, Mondo and Blic, and what is known so far about the accident in Mrcajevci, near Cacak.

The man died in a shaft in the yard of the family home in Mrcajevci. The funeral is scheduled for today, September 24, with the memorial service and burial starting at 1 PM, according to Mondo and Republika.

What Happened in Mrcajevci

According to a source cited by Republika, Mikica had gone behind the house to fix a valve in the shaft and never returned.

He went behind the house to fix the valve. He went to finish what he’d set out to do, but he never came back from there. Concern set in quickly after that.

That is how an unnamed local source described it to Republika. A neighbor from Mrcajevci told Kurir a similar version of that morning, adding a detail about his wife, who was waiting with coffee.

He just wanted to turn the valve. His wife had made coffee and was waiting for him so they could drink it together in the morning. She called out to him, but he didn’t answer. When she went to look for him, she found his slippers next to the shaft.

Kurir writes that Mikica drowned in the shaft. Mondo and Republika say the exact cause of death is still to be determined by the on scene investigation. Sources also disagree on the day: Novosti and Srpskainfo, in articles published on September 23, say the accident happened that same morning, while Nova, in a piece published the same day, says it happened the morning before. Police and an ambulance crew responded to the scene, an investigation was carried out, and official findings on the cause of death are expected once the inquiry concludes.

Neighbors are still shaken by what happened.

We’re all in shock. We saw each other last night and talked about the plum harvest, we were just saying the trees had never borne so much fruit. This morning I hear about the tragedy.

Miroslav Ilic: ‘He Was the Closest Thing to a Brother’

The singer, whose cousin was not his blood brother but the son of his uncle, spoke publicly for the first time. He gave Kurir his longest comment.

He’s my dearest brother, I don’t have another one. We were very close, but I wouldn’t want to say much about it, I don’t think it should be talked about at length.

Speaking to Hype, Ilic explained why his cousin was so close to him, as reported by Republika and Srpskainfo.

Unfortunately, it’s true. He’s my favorite brother. My cousin, my uncle’s son. You know I don’t have a brother of my own, he was the closest thing to one. I’m heading there now.

To Blic, the singer offered only a few sentences, as reported by Mondo and Srpskainfo.

Yes, it’s true, a tragedy happened. What more can I say, I’m very sad.

A source close to the Ilic family described the relationship between the two men to Kurir.

Miroslav and he acted like blood brothers. They loved and respected each other deeply, M.I. was like his right hand, he helped him with everything and looked after his property whenever Miroslav wasn’t around.

The same source adds that the two men most enjoyed the holidays, when they spent their days together, and that the respect between them was a topic of conversation throughout the town. Miroslav, the source says, had complete trust in Mikica and left him in charge of looking after the property and the family home.

Funeral Today in Mrcajevci

Mikica lived close to the center of Mrcajevci, in a house right next to Ilic’s own, Srpskainfo writes. His daughters are married with families of their own. Today, family, relatives, friends and residents of the town where Miroslav Ilic himself was born will say their goodbyes.

Kurir reported this morning that the farewell had begun at the family home, and that the singer had not yet arrived at that point.