Sister held in murder shock

A 29-YEAR-old Nicosia woman was yesterday remanded in custody for eight days after killing her younger sister, shooting her twice in the head with a shotgun in front of their third sister.

All three sisters were teachers and all three still lived with their mother, who was away at the time of the murder.

Yesterday’s remand hearing was told yesterday how, at around 10am on Friday, 25-year-old Eleni Zari was shot in the head at her home on Nikis Street in Ayios Dhometios in Nicosia.

According to the autopsy conducted by Eleni Antoniou, the victim died from severe head injury caused by two shots to the head fired by a firearm at close range –approximately three metres.

According to a police investigator who presented the report on the facts, the third sister, aged 30, told officers that she was heading to the kitchen of their home in Ayios Dhometios when she saw the suspect, Eftychia Zari aiming at and shooting her sister Eleni. She said she had not heard the victim and the suspect arguing.

The shotgun was found next to Eftychia, who admitted to killing her sister.

The Nicosia District Court heard how, following a search of the suspect’s car, the police recovered and confiscated the case of the hunting shotgun and a number of game cartridges, in usable condition, of the same brand as those found at the crime scene.

The police have so far taken 15 testimonies in connection with the case and are expected to take 70 more, most of which will be from close friends and relatives of the suspect.

The suspect was a licensed holder of a hunting shotgun since August 6 this year.

Eftychia and Eleni Zari had not been on speaking terms for over a year now and the suspect had allegedly threatened to kill the victim before and to poison the family with rat poison.

All three sisters were teachers. The victim was to be appointed to the public education system next month. The suspect worked at a teaching institute.

All three sisters lived with their mother, who was away at the time of the murder.

Police are investigating a case of premeditated murder and violence in the family.

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