Serial killer’s SIM card points to more women

A mobile phone SIM card that was destined for convicted serial killer Nikos Metaxas in prison could possibly hold key information that may be of interest to crime investigators.

Prison guards discovered a SIM card on Sunday inside a pocket of a pair of trousers, which was brought by Metaxas’ mother and sister who went to visit him at Nicosia Central Prisons. While no crime was being suspected over the incident, the guards halted the visit and confiscated the SIM card, which was later handed over to investigators.

Metaxas, a former Greek Cypriot army captain also known as Orestis, is serving seven life sentences for the murders of five women and two children, all foreigners who went missing between late 2016 and mid 2018. Experts said it was possible that the actual number of his victims may never be known, while he has maintained by the end of the trial that he committed only seven murders.

According to Reporter, the SIM card in question dates back prior to 2016 and holds phone numbers and names of an undiscolsed number of females. It was not immediately clear whether women, whose information had been saved on the card, were actually potential targets or if even they communicated or met with Orestis.

Police had preformed wellness checks during the investigation before summer, with reports saying all but one female had confirmed they were alive and well. Those women were on a list of names based on another SIM card belonging to Orestis as well as computer forensic data that showed they had some communication with the killer at some point.

Police, who were criticized over the case for not taking missing foreign women complaints seriously, renewed their effort to ascertain whether more females could have been targeted by Orestis. They were also criticised for important delays in the initial stages of the investigation, including a whole day between Orestis' name being heard in court by mistake and his actual arrest. During his apprehension, Orestis reportedly attempted to swallow another SIM card in front of police, but a female officer managed to stop him.

A number of women, including a young aspiring model who accused Orestis of rape, came forward after his photo was released as a suspect. But critical evidence is believed to have been destroyed or possibly lost forever, while Metaxas has also been formally accused of evidence tampering and obstruction of justice.