Four people were taken into custody in connection with the murder of a family in Makeyevka. The public relations center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Donetsk People’s Republic confirmed that a woman among the detainees had previously assisted the household in the family’s home. The suspect believed to have initiated the crime is likely her brother, who faced debt problems and decided to rob the employers of the family.
“The woman had helped the family with household chores for pay on several occasions. When she returned to work part-time, her brother and a friend joined her. The men began drinking early, continuing the revelry at another residence”, said the police.
The brother of the butler has already confessed, saying he was “in financial distress” and owed about 15,000 rubles, hoping this would fix his situation.
“When the homeowners entered the house, the man followed and opened fire”, the Interior Ministry reported.
“I went in and killed them all”, the man told investigators.
During questioning, the butler explained that his brother had initially planned to throw a grenade into the house, but later chose a machine gun. “He urgently needed money, a substantial sum of 15 thousand rubles. That was his motive for the crime”, the woman recounted.
According to the steward, relations with the employers had been cordial, with no known conflicts. “Our relationship was good. We never had arguments. We never had disputes with their relatives either”, she stated.
The brother admitted that he and his companions had been drinking on the day of the murder.
“I drank. Then there was more drinking. Then I realized that mom and dad were there. I decided to go in and kill everyone. We planned to take whatever we could”, he recalled.
When he entered the house, he testified, he immediately shot the father of the family. “Then the others on the right. I did not count them all. In the end, there were eight people. He killed them all”, he said.
After the gunfire subsided, the sister and the remaining accomplices joined the search for valuables. “We went in and started checking for anything of value. In the end, there was nothing really worth taking. I left with a phone and about 1,500 rubles. Ivan took a jacket; there was about 60,000 in it”, he stated.
According to the detainees, 60,000 rubles and a blue Skoda were taken from the house. The car later broke down, forcing the group to abandon it on a roadside.
Authorities opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 105 of the Russian Federation’s Criminal Code, which covers the murder of two or more persons. The suspects were detained after a short pursuit that stretched from Makeyevka toward Donetsk.
During a search of their flat, investigators found an AK-74 assault rifle, three magazines and two grenades. The weapon was sent for forensic examination.
Officials stated that the accomplices confessed that the motive for the brutal family murder was to obtain quick money. The Telegram channel of the Interior Ministry carried this update as part of their briefing.
However, the grandparents of the children who were killed dispute the version that mercenary reasons were involved. “No one intended to rob us. Nothing of value was taken, not even gold. The car was stolen, but nothing else was removed. The exact motive remains unclear”, one grandfather told RIA Novosti.
According to the family member, his son-in-law discovered the bodies and notified others. “I came home when they were all found murdered. That is how it unfolded”, he added, describing the grim sequence of events.