Journalist Giorgos Karaivaz, who was gunned down outside his home in southern Athens on Friday, took a total of 10 bullets to his body, according to the results of an autopsy presented on Saturday by the deputy minister for citizens’ protection.
Speaking to state-run broadcaster ERT, Lefteris Economou suggested a link between the killing and organised crime. There has been a series of suspected contract killings in the past three years, he said, pointing to an “open war” between rival gangs.
However, he stressed that it was still too early to make assumptions regarding the exact motives of Friday’s execution-style murder.
The autopsy showed that the victim received six bullets to the chest, two in the head and one in the neck and left palm. Karaivaz was shot by two men on a motorcycle, who investigators believe were “professional assassins.”
New video and photographic material reveal the two perpetrators of the murderous attack on George Karaivaz, on Friday afternoon, outside his house in Alimos.
Meanwhile, new data emerges through the analysis of videos from cameras in the area that was made available to the Homicide team.
The assailants arrived at the spot ten minutes before the journalist and waited for him to park the car to get out and execute him.
Detectives say a second group may have followed the journalist and informed the killers about what route he took on the way home.
George Karaivaz’s funeral will be held today at 15:00, in his village, Kallifito Drama, where he was born.