Police raid Nicosia home in murder of Stavros Demosthenous

Police on Tuesday raided the home of a woman in Nicosia in connection with the murder of 49-year-old businessman and football agent Stavros Demosthenous, who was gunned down on October 17 while driving with his 18-year-old son in Limassol.

Earlier, authorities arrested a 30-year-old inmate at the Central Prisons, believed to have played a key role in orchestrating the killing. According to investigators, he allegedly instructed another 30-year-old suspect, who was also arrested and remanded for eight days on Monday, to purchase the motorcycle used in the getaway after the gunmen set fire to their van in Germasogeia.

Within just three days of the murder, police have detained four other men, three Greek Cypriots and one Greek national, while investigations continue at full speed.

A crime that looked “perfectly planned”, until it wasn’t

Although the execution appeared to have been meticulously organized, and the shooter targeted only Demosthenous without harming his son, investigators say a series of mistakes, rushed decisions, and oversights quickly unraveled the killers’ plan.

From the police helicopter that happened to be nearby to security cameras that captured key movements to the abandoned motorcycle, a jockey hat, and even the driver’s bright yellow shirt, each clue has helped investigators piece together the puzzle.

The helicopter’s unexpected presence may have forced the perpetrators to flee in panic, abandoning the motorcycle in Agios Tychonas rather than destroying it as planned. The bike, found hidden in the grass 24 hours later, could now hold crucial DNA or fingerprint evidence.

Meanwhile, a hat that fell from the driver’s head near the burnt van in Germasogeia is considered one of the most personal items left behind, with forensic teams hoping it yields genetic material or sweat traces.

Surveillance footage along multiple points has also proven vital, showing the movements of both the motorcycle and the distinctive double-cab vehicle before and after the shooting.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to trace everyone involved in what police describe as a carefully orchestrated hit gone wrong.