The events surrounding a brutal crime in St. Petersburg involving teenagers are under investigation. Media outlets report that a 16-year-old boy and his 15-year-old accomplice lured a 13-year-old girl into a forest for an act described as an atmospheric interview and murdered her with a hammer after a grave had been prepared in advance.
There, during the filming of what authorities termed social media content, the girl was struck repeatedly on the head, resulting in fatal injuries.
What happened
On the evening of Sunday, April 30, a seventh-grader from Krasnogvardeisky district did not return home, according to Fontanka. When there was no reply on her phone, her mother called the police on May 1. By May 2, investigators reviewing the girl’s circle of acquaintances focused on a teenager who showed unusual behavior. It was found that the 16-year-old Ilya attends a school in the Primorsky district and runs a Telegram channel in which a confession to the murder was posted.
The message read in part: “Friends. That is how my story ends. I was a sociopath and never loved anyone. And it all began Sunday to Monday night — I killed my friend Vasilisa. I killed her with a few hammer blows to the head and then strangled her.” The author stated intent to surrender due to an inability to escape punishment, but later claimed he lacked the strength to commit suicide and appeared willing to cooperate with authorities.
He was detained in the early hours of May 3 after his father contacted police, admitting that his son had killed the girl. A decision on preventive restraint and the initiation of a criminal case under the article concerning the murder of a minor is being considered.
“Prove your dominance over the world”
Investigators say Ilya had previously prepared a hole in a forest belt near Kamenka and recorded the events with his 15-year-old friend Anfisa using a phone. The chosen victim was a 13-year-old acquaintance identified as Portal, described as someone who could be directed and who would participate in an atmospheric interview in the woods. 78.RU reports.
During the filming, the girl was asked questions on abstract topics to prevent suspicion. The narrative notes that Ilya convinced Anfisa that proving world domination required killing Vasilisa, and Anfisa reportedly agreed to the plan as part of the act, according to the material presented in tears.
A video released on Mash on the Moika Telegram channel captured the moment of the murder. The footage shows the assailant approaching the girl from behind and striking her with a hammer. The victim collapsed, did not resist, and died from the injuries sustained at the scene, according to the report.
Authorities say the teenagers hid the body in the Pargolovsky forest and later sent a message from the girl’s phone to her mother claiming she had chosen to disappear and would not return home. They also placed the girl’s phone, purse, and the bloody hammer near the burial site about 15 meters from where the crime occurred. Investigators later identified the burial site and continue inquiries at the scene.
What is known about the victims and the alleged perpetrators
Local media indicate that the deceased girl was born in St. Petersburg and studied at a gymnasium in the central district. She was described as friendly and well-liked, and she also attended art school. The two accused teens reportedly had no stated conflicts with the victim and have claimed they carried out the murder to gain social media attention.
One official described that after the initial shock, the teen spoke calmly about the events, with a detached tone that might mislead outsiders about the gravity of the actions. The second suspect, Anfisa, a ninth-grader from the Primorsky district, now says she knew nothing about a planned massacre and claims only to have recorded interviews. She contends she participated in helping bury the body under the belief she would become a target otherwise, according to statements available to investigators.