Former Cop Charged With Killing, Dismembering Young Man in Plovdiv

The Plovdiv District Court has ordered former police officer Todor Lapkov to remain in custody over the alleged killing of a 21-year-old man in the town of Saedinenie. Prosecutors accuse Lapkov of shooting the young man with an illegally held hunting rifle before dismembering his body and concealing it in sacks near his farm.

Lapkov himself requested to remain in detention, telling the court that he feared retaliation and possible attacks on his farm. The court's decision came amid evidence gathered by investigators and a confession by the former officer.

His lawyers, however, maintain that Lapkov acted in unavoidable self-defense. They say he was attacked at night by the young man during what they described as another attempted robbery.

The victim was identified as 21-year-old Mitko Dimitrov from the village of Nayden Gerovo. He had been missing for almost a week before police discovered his dismembered remains in bags hidden in a shaft near Lapkov's farm outside Saedinenie.

Investigators say Lapkov and Dimitrov knew each other and had previously maintained friendly relations. The young man had frequently helped at the farm, but the former officer also allegedly became the target of repeated thefts. The precise circumstances of their final encounter remain under investigation.

According to the prosecution, Dimitrov was shot with an illegal hunting rifle. Lapkov then allegedly dismembered the body and attempted to conceal the evidence.

Plovdiv District Prosecutor's Office prosecutor Svetoslava Pencheva said two charges had been brought against Lapkov, one for intentional homicide under Article 115 of the Criminal Code and another under Article 339 for possessing a firearm without the required legal permit.

Lapkov has confessed, Pencheva said, but she declined to provide further details about the alleged motive, saying this could interfere with the investigation.

“Two charges have been brought against the same person ... for intentional murder and for possessing a firearm without a valid permit,” Pencheva said. Asked whether Lapkov had confessed, she replied: “Yes, he did.”

Defense attorney Georgi Karparov argued that the case should be viewed in the context of an earlier attack allegedly carried out by Dimitrov against his client.

Karparov said Lapkov had been attacked by the same man about a year and a half ago, suffering a serious head injury and damage to his right eye. He said a complaint had been filed at the time but that the incident was not included in the current case.

“In the present case, it is also a case of a reckless attack, as he defended himself at a time when, unfortunately, the injured person, the deceased, attacked him with an axe,” Karparov said.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting, the alleged dismemberment and the events leading up to Dimitrov's death remain the subject of the investigation. Prosecutors are continuing to examine the evidence while the court has kept Lapkov in custody.

If convicted of intentional murder, the former police officer could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.