Premeditated murder not ruled out in Aglandjia case

Nicosia police say they are not ruling out premeditated murder in the Aglandjia homicide case, where the body of an 80-year-old woman was found tied up and gagged in her own home.

The victim, retired teacher Androulla Vanezi, lived in a house in Aglandjia with her son, who reportedly had breakfast with his mother Monday morning before taking off to work in Larnaca.

Her dautgher, who also lives nearby, went to the house after 9am to take her mother to the doctor. The victim reportedly had a previous injury and her hand was in a cast. At that time, according to the daughter’s account, she found her mother on the bed, face down, tied up and gagged, without a pulse.

The house, according to reports, appeared to have been in disarray, suggesting a robbery might have taken place as things were thrown all over the place. Police have not ruled out this possibility. 

A preliminary medical examination at the crime scene, carried out Monday by forensic pathologists Nicolas Charalambous and Angeliki Papetta, found that the victim’s little finger had been injured, with wounds appearing to have been made by a sharp object, believed to be a knife. Similar wounds were also found in the face.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday morning, with police investigators, who have not ruled out premeditated murder, wanting to clarify whether the woman’s death was caused by suffocation or heart attack.

The victim’s 76-year-old husband, an ex cop, is said to be staying at a nursing home after he suffered a stroke.