Red Lake object traced back to film production

New reports appear to debunk Wednesday’s odd find at the Red Lake, as an object that alerted authorities ended up being a mockup body dumped during the filming of a foreign movie two decades ago.

Authorities and media were puzzled over an odd object found in the red lake, Mitseros in rural Nicosia, until new information revealed that it was not pertinent to the investigation into the murders allegedly committed by a serial killer.

According to media reports, the unknown object retrieved Wednesday from the bottom of the lakebed appears to be the mockup body used in the film “Slaughter of the Cock” (I sfagi tou kokora), a feature film produced in 1995. The movie contained a scene where two men dumped a body in the Red Lake in Mitseros.

The exact scene is depicted in the YouTube video below at the 00:56:48 mark, where the Red Lake is shown again in the movie at 01:25:56.

There has been no official confirmation regarding the find, which contained a few sponges and rocks wrapped around a long piece of wood, with everything wrapped inside a rug.

Earlier on Thursday, private forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis had criticised authorities and raised the suspicion that the discovery could in fact be related to the case. According to Kathimerini Cyprus, the discovery was sent to the lab for further testing despite officials raising doubts from the beginning as to whether it may be pertinent to the investigation.

New options for Red Lake search

Following failed attempts to locate a third body in the red lake, officials were said to be considering the introduction of Ground Penetrating Radar at the site. While a diver and the use of a robotic camera helped locate two bodies so far, sonar technology failed to find a third victim believed to have been dumped in the lake. Due to zero visibility conditions, new methods are being considered including GPR which would allow experts to see underneath the mud.

The two bodies retrieved from the red lake inside suitcases belonged to a Romanian mother and her daughter who went missing in September 2016. Alleged serial killer Nikos Metaxas, a Greek Cypriot army captain and skilled photographer also known as Orestis, reportedly confessed to killing the mother and child and dumping their bodies in the lake, along with another Filipina who went missing a year later. Three other bodies have been recovered while a child is still missing.

Police investigators believe that the body of 30-year-old Maricar Valdez Arquiola from the Philippines, who went missing on 13 December 2017, is still underwater at the red lake, possibly in a suitcase. Orestis also said he dumped the body of a little girl, the daughter of one of the victims, in another lake in Xiliatos reservoir. The search for six-year-old Sierra Graze Seucalliuc has also yileded nothing so far.

Orestis reportedly admitted to seven murders of foreign women and children while he is also facing rape charges. A young Filipina and aspiring model has accused the suspect of rape, which she said he had videotaped using his phone.

The model never went to police until after the suspect was arrested for the murders. He has denied the charges while he had filed a preemptive complaint against the woman in February 2017, shortly after the alleged incident.

Reports said the woman had told a friend and even the suspect’s ex-wife about the rape, shortly after the alleged incident. But she told cops she had no idea that Nikos Metaxas was the same person behind Orestis, who contacted her online to discuss photography.

While reports painted a picture of a serial killer who would strangle his victims to death, new details revealed a new killer signature. Police officials say they are looking into countless tips coming from concerned citizens regarding Orestis. While they have not ruled out new locations and possibly more victims, officials denied they had solid leads to warrant new searches.