Police arrest suspect over Galatsi killing of 80-year-old man, reports differ on method

The killing and discovery

Police say an 80-year-old man was killed in his home in Galatsi, an Athens district, on 24 July 2026. His son found him dead the next morning, after the son became worried that his father was not answering either the landline or his mobile phone. Investigators reported that the bedroom was the only room disturbed, with objects scattered and a bedside table drawer removed, while the main entrance showed no signs of forced entry. A forensic examination found an injury to the victim's neck, which alarmed the pathologist and officers from the Galatsi Security Department.

Two accounts of the suspect and the method

Greek outlets describe the suspect and the cause of death in incompatible ways. NewsIT, SKAI and Kathimerini report a 48-year-old foreign national who entered the house to steal and then strangled the victim, a cause those reports say the forensic examination established. in.gr and iefimerida instead describe a 46-year-old Albanian national who, according to police assessment, placed a pillow over the older man's face, causing death by asphyxia. Those two reports also differ on the forensic finding itself, which one set describes as strangulation and the other as blocked airways. Both versions agree on a robbery motive and on the arrest.

Arrest and witness accounts

The suspect was arrested on the morning of 29 October under an arrest warrant and taken to the competent prosecutor. He is accused of intentional homicide, and the Athens unit for crime investigation compiled a case file after several months of inquiries. Kathimerini reports that video footage shows a man moving suspiciously outside the house on the night of 24 July, a window that matches the estimated time of death. in.gr and iefimerida say security camera footage led police to the suspect, and that he gave contradictory answers during questioning. According to witness statements cited by Kathimerini, the suspect returned to the street three times, on 25, 27 and 28 July, asking neighbours what had happened and whether they had been called to give statements. Witnesses said he appeared highly anxious in each of those conversations.

What remains open

A pillow reportedly bearing bloodstains was sent to forensic laboratories for analysis, and the outcome of that work is not yet in the reporting. Until the case file is public, the conflicting accounts of the suspect's age, nationality and the cause of death cannot be checked against each other. The man remains accused of intentional homicide, and no court has ruled on the case.