Final goodbye for slain mother and daughter

Two of seven slain victims in the serial killer case, a mother and a daughter from Romania, were buried together on Thursday following a state-funded funeral service in Nicosia.

Friends, relatives, and state officials were among those who attended the funeral service for 36-year-old Livia Florentina Bunea and her 8-year-old daughter Elena Natalia, whose bodies were retrieved from the bottom of the red lake.

The service, held at the Ayios Georgios church in Arediou, was paid by the state following a Cabinet decision last month to cover all funeral costs associated with the serial killer case. The eulogy was delivered by the metropolitan bishop of Tamasos and Orinis, who said humanity was shaken by the abhorrent crime.

“All of us today share the pain for all the victims of this most abhorrent crime, which has shocked and will continue to shock our community but also the entire human race,” the bishop said.

Members of the team that recovered the bodies, including the diver, were also present at the funeral. After the service, which was held in Greek and Romanian, attendees paid their respects and laid flowers.

The burial took place at a local cemetery in Arediou, rural Nicosia, which is near the area where alleged, self-confessed serial killer Nikos Metaxas got rid of the bodies of seven females, all foreign, including Livia and Elena.

Buried together in the same grave

The mother and daughter were last seen in September 2016. Their bodies were recovered a month ago at the red lake, rural Nicosia, just five miles from Arediou. They were buried together in the same grave.

Elena’s father is reportedly suing the police for wrongful death, after it emerged that police had received information about the missing duo but allegedly failed to investigate properly. A lawyer representing the family says they intend to prove this in court through documentary evidence.