The key facts

  • The murder in Sterlitamak was committed in November 2009; the blood inscription was deciphered only now using modern methods
  • The suspect is the victim's friend Albina, who knew about the money and was the last incoming call
  • Previously the case could not be brought to charges due to lack of evidence; now the woman has confessed and is under house arrest

A message that could not be read for 17 years

A murder committed in November 2009 in Sterlitamak, Bashkiria, has been solved. A woman was on her way to a deal to buy an apartment, carrying a bag with money; she was stabbed in the entrance of a building. In the final minutes of her life, the victim left a message in her own blood on the tiles, but it could not be read at the time — the inscription was only deciphered now, 17 years later. REN TV reported this, citing the Investigative Committee of Russia for the region, and Gazeta.Ru published a piece on the investigation Gazeta.Ru.

The friend who knew about the money

The apartment in that building was recommended to the woman by her friend Albina — it was from her that the last incoming call to the victim's phone came. The friend invited her to view the apartment and knew about the money. As early as 17 years ago, the theory that it was she who killed the woman for the sake of robbery became the main one, but there was not enough evidence to bring charges.

What has changed now

Using modern methods, specialists deciphered the inscription on the tiles — it contained the name 'Albina'. The woman, as before, denied any involvement, but eventually confessed. According to the publication, all these years she had lived an ordinary life with her family, who knew nothing about what had happened. She has been placed under house arrest on a murder charge. Thus, it was the deciphering of the inscription that made it possible to supply the missing piece of evidence needed for the theory that had been considered the main one since 2009.