Reporter accused of murders found dead in jail

MACEDONIA:A MACEDONIAN JOURNALIST accused of sexually assaulting and killing at least two elderly women before reporting on their gruesome deaths for his newspaper was found dead in prison yesterday, three days after his arrest.

Police investigating correspondent Vlado Taneski - whom former colleagues have dubbed the Kicevo Monster, after the town where he lived - immediately likened his crimes and his demise to scenes from a "horror movie".

"He committed suicide. He put his head in a bucket of water," said police spokesman Ivo Kotevski.

"It is unclear how none of his cell mates or guards noticed while he was doing so." The strange circumstances of Taneski's supposed suicide are expected to be the subject of an inquiry, which will run alongside an investigation into his suspected crimes.

The journalist had already been charged with kidnapping, sexually abusing and strangling two women, and was suspected of doing the same to a third victim and of being involved in the disappearance of a fourth woman.

The women were all cleaners aged between 56 and 78, and were said to resemble Taneski's late mother, with whom he had a troubled relationship.

"All the victims were found naked, strangled, wrapped with phone cables and placed in nylon bags hidden in different locations," said Mr Kotevski.

"The women were sexually and physically abused. For example, the last victim, a 65-year old female, was found with 13 deep wounds on her skull and multiple rib fractures."

Police became suspicious of Taneski (56) when they noticed that his articles on the murders contained details that had not been made public. Subsequently, his DNA was also found on the remains of the women, who disappeared between 2003 and 2007.

"He visited me several times asking me for information," said Cvetanka Licovska, the sister of one of the victims, who all lived near Taneski in Kicevo. "I am insisting that the [legal] process be completed, regardless of him being dead or alive," she added.

After arresting Taneski last Friday, investigators said he had "neither confessed nor denied that he was the killer, staying cool in reaction to police questions".

His former wife, Vesna, who separated from him four years ago after 31 years of marriage, said they had had "a normal relationship and he was not aggressive".

A resident of Kicevo, 120km south-west of Skopje, called Taneski "a very good, nice neighbour".

Former colleagues were appalled. "We are all shocked with this. I know him as an exceptionally quiet man and I would never believe that he is capable of doing something like that," said Ljupco Popovski, editor-in-chief of the national Utrinski Vesniknewspaper.