Mesinia murders second suspect turns himself in

It is believed that the motive for the crime of the two young men, 26-year-old Constantinos Sgouros and 25-year-old Yiannis Kommatis – in Mani, revealed yesterday, was a deal to sell steroids that went wrong. Sources state that they constantly argued over this matter, that involved a down-payment by the buyer that never received the steroids, worth 800 euros.

The first murder suspect, aged 19, was arrested shortly after the bodies were found. He admitted that he was at the scene of the crime but claimed that another man, also aged 19, had shot the two victims in the back with a hunting rifle. The two bodies were carried and thrown off a bridge at a gorge. The young man was interrogated until late last night and the weapon used to kill the men was found. It was a rifle that belonged to the mother of one of the assailants.

A little after midnight, the second man involved in the murder, arrived at the police station with his lawyer.  Police investigators found the gun and the car which the two suspected perpetrators are believed to have used to dump the bodies of their victims in a remote area.  The signal of the victim's cell phones gave away the location where the car was abandoned and the bodies were thrown away.

According to the police probe, the two men, 26-year-old Constantinos Sgouros and 25-year-old Yiannis Kommatis, had been drinking in a bar outside Kalamata with friends on Monday night. On leaving in the early hours of Tuesday, they told their friends they were going to meet someone but gave no further details.

It appears that they failed to procure some 800 euros’ worth of steroids that the two 19-year-olds are alleged to have ordered, prompting an argument that led to the shootings.  The bodies of Kommatis and Sgouros bore several bullet wounds in their backs, according to police sources who said the injuries indicated that the shots were fired at very close range.

Both suspects for the double homicide will face the Messinia prosecutor today, while the police are also expected to give more details concerning the murder.