Two suitcases have been detected at the bottom of an acidic lake in Mitsero and will be brought to the surface tomorrow, fire chief Marcos Trangolas said late on Saturday afternoon after an extensive search for the bodies of three murder victims.
He said that the search for a third suitcase at Mitsero’s Kokkini Limni (Red Lake) would continue tomorrow.
A search at a lake at Xyliatou for the body of a six year old girl had still not brought results, and will also continue tomorrow, he added.
He said that “something” which did not comply with the environment there had been found and sent for tests. He did not elaborate.
Authorities are looking for four victims at locations given to them by a 35 year old army officer who is in custody for seven murders. Three bodies have been recovered.
They have been using a robotic camera at Kokkini Limni because of the acidity of the water. Four divers have been taking turns to search the lake at Xyliatou using specialised diving gear.
The suspect — whose remand was renewed for another eight days on Saturday — has told police that he threw the body of six year old Sierra — daughter of Marry Rose Tiburcio whose body was found in an abandoned mine shaft on April 14 — in the lake at Xyliatou.
He has also confessed to killing Livia Florentina Bunea and her eight year daughter Elena Natalia as well as Maricar Valdez Arquiola and has told police he stuffed the bodies into suitcases and threw them into Kokkini Limni.
There was a breakthrough at Kokkini Limni at around 2 pm on Saturday when the robotic camera detected a suitcase.
The suspect was brought to the area to pinpoint locations and taken back.
Fire services then marked the areas with buoys.
Trangolas said that two objects were found that gave credible grounds to believe they were the objects sought. Asked whether he was talking about suitcases, the fire chief said: “That was what we were looking for.”
The two suitcases will be recovered tomorrow. Trangolas said that fire services were waiting for the results of additional tests of the water as this would decide what gear the divers would wear. He added that the suitcases were not at a great depth.
He said that the operation to recover the suitcases would start at around 10 am.
Meanwhile, divers combing the Xiliatou lake have still not discovered the body of six year old Sierra.
Their search will continue tomorrow, Easter Sunday.
The murder of five women and two children has stunned public opinion and led to calls for the resignation of the justice minister and chief of police. Police have recovered three bodies –two from an abandoned mine shaft and one from a dry well in Orounta firing range.
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