A man killed his ex-girlfriend in order to prove his love to his new partner, prosecutors in Russia believe.
Suspect Aleksey Petrov, 20, is alleged to have lured former lover Anastasia Pospelova in the forest before strangling her to death.
Reports say Petrov and his new girlfriend Yekaterina Karpova, 20, invited Anastasia to have a party together, on June 14.
The killing happened near the village of Suzun in southcentral Novosibirsk region.
After she agreed, the pair led her in the woods where they made a bonfire and started drinking alcohol.
Petrov pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed Anastasia in the neck several times, local media reports. The terrified victim managed to fight off Petrov and ran away, bleeding from her wounds.
She called a friend begging for help then tried to hide in the forest but was found and attacked again.
This time Petrov hit her in the chest with his knife before stepping on her throat and strangling her to death, according to reports.
Then he and Karpova hid the corpse in bushes then returned to the village and reported Anastasia missing. Soon after that, police found the victim’s body which bore marks of violent death.
During a police interrogation, Petrov and Karpova confessed to the crime, police said.
Investigators say Karpova, who has a two-year-old son, was jealous of Petrov for Anastasia and made scenes. Then Petrov offered her to kill Anastasia to prove his love and stop constant arguments.
A police source told local media: ”The suspect man stabbed the victim with a knife then stepped on her throat and strangled her to death.
”The suspects reported their victim missing and took part in searches trying to avert suspicion.
”After the body was found they confessed in full to the crime.”
Law enforcement launched a criminal case for murder against Petrov and Karpova, who were taken into custody.
They face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
Investigators say Karpova, who has a two-year-old son, was jealous of Petrov for Anastasia and made scenes. Petrov offered her to kill Anastasia to prove his love and to stop constant arguments.
Moments before her death, Anastasia called a friend and screamed: ”Help me! I’m in the woods, they are after me! My neck is cut! They are going to kill me!”
But her friend thought it was ‘a drunk prank call’ and did not believe her, say Russian media.