“Skopin maniac” Viktor Mokhov was detained on suspicion of concealing a murder. This development was reported by Moskovsky Komsomolets Ryazan.
The incident at Mokhov’s residence occurred a week earlier. An acquaintance of Mokhov, a 39 year old, was visiting the infamous figure when a drunken altercation led to a fatal neck injury after an elbow strike. The victim died from the wound.
According to the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Ryazan Region, the suspect and the other man carried the body of the deceased to the courtyard of an abandoned house during the night in an effort to erase evidence.
The body was discovered on 7 August. Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 316 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for concealment of crimes.
Authorities indicate that Mokhov admitted to concealing a particularly serious crime that had not previously been disclosed. He also stated that he helped conceal the body after the incident. The court will decide on preventive measures for him.
In 2004 the Skopinsky District Court sentenced Viktor Mokhov to 17 years in a strict regime colony for violence and abuse against two girls in a shelter, a sentence later reduced to 16 years and 10 months.
Mokhov was released from the colony on March 3, 2021. For six years after release he was prohibited from attending mass events, from being outdoors at night, and from leaving the Skopinsky district without permission. He was required to report to police four times a month.
exactly two years
Valentin Stepankov, Russia’s first Prosecutor General, told socialbites.ca that Mokhov faces up to two years in prison in the best case.
“What appeared clear in the early stages of the investigation is now the subject of further work by investigators. They must determine Mokhov’s level of responsibility, whether he acted solely to conceal the crime or if he was an accomplice. If it is only concealment, the penalty will be lighter. If he participated in the crime itself, the consequences would be more severe. A premeditated murder charge would carry a heavier sentence, and two years would not be the outcome in that scenario,” Stepankov explained.
The former attorney general noted that, after his release in 2021, Mokhov is unlikely to return to violence. He had served more than sixteen years in prison for prior violence.
“The past circumstances did not push him back into crime, but his lifestyle involved alcohol and associations that could invite trouble. Some fault may lie with the district police officer for not monitoring Mokhov more closely in the evenings. People with negative traits around him could have influenced the outcome,” he said.
On 10 August, Viktor Mokhov was detained for ten days on disciplinary violations. The decision came from the World Court of the judicial division in the Skopinsky District Court of the Ryazan Region.
According to the Ryazan District Court secretariat, the arrest was due to non compliance with administrative requirements. Court records indicate Mokhov did not spend the night at his home.