The alleged perpetrator of the murdered dentist in Brăila, Romania, has been remanded in custody for 30 days.
We are talking about a 40-year-old man who had previous convictions for violent crimes in Germany and France and who was released from prison in March. He changed his family name twice to cover his tracks.
Investigators are considering the hypothesis of premeditated murder. Regarding a possible contract killing, the prosecutor in charge said, "We are also considering this hypothesis, but we have not proven it."
Marina Gavril, a dentist in Brăila, was found dead on Tuesday evening in her office. She was 41 years old, from Moldova, and feared for her life. She planned to buy a gun and even took a gun handling course. But she did not have the chance and was stabbed three times in the neck. After four days, the police caught the main suspect.
He is a 39-year-old Roma man from Brăila, Maricel Mihai, who lived in the same area as the office.
Irrefutable Evidence
Biological evidence, as well as other evidence collected by investigators, indicate that he is the perpetrator of the crime.
"Biological evidence was decisive. It is a premeditated murder, but right now, I cannot say he had a specific motive because he did not declare anything, and we do not have evidence in that regard. He prepared his act. We still do not know the motive," said prosecutor Ionel Gîlcă from the Brăila County Prosecutor's Office.
The man refused to give statements to the prosecutor, but he responded to journalists three times with "No" when asked if he killed the dentist, as reported by local media.
His lawyer, Cornel Grigoriu, also stated: "He can prove it with surveillance cameras, witnesses, the time spent on the 16th." The same lawyer claims that the suspect knew the dentist, having seen her only once when she treated him, precisely on July 16, but earlier than the time of the crime.
Prosecutor Ionel Gâlcă added: "He made a statement, admitting that he was in the dental office, but not at the time we found him. Biological evidence, specifically the victim's DNA extracted from under her nails, which was identified as his from the database. I am talking about the genetic material found under the victim's nails, which is irrefutable evidence."
The Crime Scene
In addition, the individual was identified thanks to a surveillance camera located further away, which also recorded his entry into the office.
At 4:15 PM, Maricel Mihai opened the office door, entered and quickly left for two to three seconds. After about two minutes, he returned and entered again.
The man stayed inside for exactly 33 seconds, during which he killed Marina Gavril.
Investigators have not yet found the murder weapon or the victim's phone.
After leaving the office, Maricel Mihai changed his clothes and threw the clothes worn during the crime into a dumpster. They were found there by investigators, including the footwear. Part of his route was captured by several street surveillance cameras.
After the crime, he even entered a gaming hall. The day before he was caught, he spent time with several people at a party.