Circumstances indicate that Kuciak’s and Kušnírová’s deaths were a contract killing

At present, police are examining several scenarios.

Press conference about the double murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina KušnírováPress conference about the double murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová (Source: TASR )

The circumstances that have been identified so far suggest that the assassinations in Veľká Mača were a contract murder. A prosecutor from the Special Prosecutor’s Office informed the media about this on Monday, March 26. Based on the investigation so far, journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered on February 21 with a 9mm caliber pistol.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

“The female victim was shot in the head from the front, the other victim was shot twice in the heart also from the front,” said the prosecutor, whose identity the media were asked not to reveal due to safety reasons. In his words, there was no evidence of a fight and most likely, nothing was stolen.

SkryťTurn off ads

Two empty cartridges were found at the crime scene as well as unused bullets.

“The movement of the probable perpetrator has been documented, along with other facts that we cannot present for now,” the prosecutor said.

At present, the police are examining several scenarios, each with equal seriousness. So far, investigators have interrogated some 200 persons.

“On the basis of the offer of the payment of a financial reward for information leading to the identification of the perpetrator and the motive, the prosecution and the police have received several dozen notifications from citizens,” the prosecutor said, adding that not all of them were serious but all are being investigated with the same intensity.

Read also: General Prosecutor: No progress in murder investigation Read more 

The Special Prosecutor’s Office pointed out that the Slovak law enforcement authorities are cooperating with foreign investigators on this case, Italians as well as Europol.

SkryťTurn off ads

The investigative team consists of 10 investigators and more than 50 operative agents, as well as an analytical group of six analysts and the foreign cooperation group.

“It’s one of the biggest investigative teams put together with an eye towards investigating a murder in recent years,” said the prosecutor.

Restraint is important in providing information about this case.

“It is in this way that the main purpose of criminal proceedings is achieved, that is finding and punishing the perpetrators,” he said.

The double murder

Investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fianceé Martina Kušnírová were shot dead in their family house by a currently unknown culprit or culprits. It is assumed that Kuciak’s work uncovering the operation of the Italian mafia in eastern Slovakia and its possible connection to top politicians might have been behind the murder.

Top stories

A supporter of Russia during one of the so-called "True march for peace" events.

News digest: Some bad news stories from Slovakia

Hints of Russia winning information war in Slovakia, interview with new Foreign Affairs Minister, and an event for book lovers.


15 h
Jupiter (centre) and its Galilean moons: from left Ganymede, Io, Europa and Callisto. Juice with deployed antennas and arrays is in the bottom right.

From Košice to Ganymede: Slovak engineers are leaving their mark in space

Slovaks are active participants in two ongoing space missions.


20. may
Miroslav Wlachovský.

MFA Wlachovský: Slovaks would be surprised by what Russians say about us

The new head of Slovak diplomacy, Wlachovský, explains what he wants to accomplish.


20 h
Marian Kočner arrives in court in Pezinok, western Slovakia, on May 19, 2023.

Slovak court's verdict in Kuciak case leaves 'bitter taste'

Zsuzsová was found guilty of masterminding the murder of the journalist, but the judges could not find any direct evidence linking Marian Kočner, a subject of Kuciak's stories, to the murder.


23 h
SkryťClose ad