Body found in advanced decomposition in Pagkrati apartment; 63-year-old brother taken in for questioning

Discovery

At approximately 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, the Hellenic Police (EL.AS) received an emergency call from a resident of an apartment building on Astydamantos Street in the Pagkrati district of Athens. The caller reported an intense, unbearable odor emanating from a neighboring unit. Officers arrived and forced entry into the apartment, where they found the body of a man in an advanced state of decomposition, wrapped in bedsheets. In the same room, they encountered the deceased's 63-year-old brother, who was alive and present in the dwelling.

The brothers' background

The two men had been living together in the apartment for an unspecified period. Neighbors told reporters that both brothers suffered from serious psychological issues and were a source of constant fear in the building. One female resident claimed the pair were former police officers and that other tenants had previously attempted to evict them, but their efforts failed. She described the brothers as "the fear and terror of the apartment block" and alleged that the death was a homicide, stating that the victim had been "slaughtered." The 63-year-old, born in 1962, was reportedly in a state of confusion and delirium when police arrived.

Investigation

The 63-year-old brother was taken to a police station for questioning as part of a preliminary inquiry. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether there were visible signs of violence on the body. A forensic pathologist has been assigned to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death and establish whether criminal activity was involved. Police are keeping all possibilities open, including death from pathological causes. One neighbor estimated that the death may have occurred three to four days earlier, based on the progression of the odor. The investigation is ongoing.