There often comes ?° crucial moment in Russian drinking sessions when the convivial mood turns ominous, and the turning point is commonly one of the participants’ decisions to cease consumption for the evening.
For some, the refusal to continue drinking represents a naked insult that prompts the offended party to utter a menacing question all too well-known to Russian tipplers: “You don’t respect me?”
Authorities do not indicate whether a 17-year-old Tyumen region man uttered this phrase before allegedly murdering his drinking buddy last winter, but the events of that tragic evening suggest the typical scenario for those four words.
On Dec. 9, 2008, a 21-year-old resident of the Tyumen region city of Tobolsk went over to a friend’s apartment, where a group of young men were hanging out and drinking, regional investigators said.
After downing a few drinks, the guest decided to lie down for a rest, much to the dismay of the 17-year-old suspect, who insisted that he join him for more boozing.
An argument ensued, during which the suspect grabbed a knife and stabbed the victim 20 times in the neck, chest and back, killing him on the spot.
There were still those other guests to deal with, of course. The suspect threatened to harm them if they did not help him carry the body out of the apartment and dump it in the Irtysh River.
The victim’s mother reported him missing the following day, but the suspect — now 18 years old — was only detained a few months later.
Building a murder case without a body can be tricky, but the victim’s body eventually washed up on the banks of the Irtysh in September, investigators said.
The regional Investigative Committee has wrapped up the investigation and has preliminarily charged the suspect with first-degree murder, which is punishable by up to life in prison.
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