This is the smiling family photograph of a beautiful Russian woman and her 15-year-old daughter with her former mercenary husband, who is alleged to have shot them dead - and who has now been arrested in Germany and extradited to Turkey after a three-year manhunt.
Andrej Kuslevic, who was reportedly hired as a bodyguard for Russian oligarchs, has now been locked up in a Turkish jail after being detained abroad on an international warrant, bringing an end to a years-long hunt following the killings in Bodrum, a resort town on Turkey’s Aegean coast in Mugla province in the country’s southwest.
Russian Kuslevic, 49, is accused of murdering his ex-wife Irina Dvizova, 42, and her daughter Dayana Dvizova, 15, before dumping their bodies on a steep roadside slope near the family home.
Photo shows the victim Irina Dvizova and the suspect Andrey Kuslevich with family, undated. Dvizova and her daughter's dead bodies were found in Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey. Note: Picture is private (Newsflash)
Relatives raised the alarm on 23rd November, 2023 after they could not reach Irina and Dayana and went to the apartment in the Konacik area of Bodrum.
When nobody answered the door, family members forced their way inside and spotted what they believed were blood stains on a sofa, police said.
Investigators trawled CCTV footage and tracked movements in the area before discovering the pair’s bodies on 28th November, wrapped in sheets and lying around three metres (10 feet) apart on a rugged slope by the road.
Photo shows Russian model Irina Dvizova and her ex-husband Andrey Kuslevich, undated. He was allegedly detained in Germany. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash)
Post-mortem findings later revealed Irina had been shot three times, including to the head, while Dayana was hit twice, including to the neck and chest.
Prosecutors say the killings followed a bitter dispute over custody of the couple’s young son and allege Kuslevic fled Turkey afterwards with the child, escaping via Lithuania.
Turkish authorities issued an international arrest warrant, and Kuslevic was later detained in Germany before being extradited back to Turkey on 6th February, according to local media.
He was arrested on arrival at Istanbul Airport and appeared before a court via video link, where he denied the allegations and insisted he was innocent.
Photo shows the scene where the bodies of Irina Dvizova and her daughter were found, undated. Dvizova and her daughter's dead bodies were found in Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey. Note: Picture is a screenshot from a video (Newsflash)
A Turkish court has accepted an indictment seeking two aggravated life sentences, including for the premeditated killing of a child and the murder of a former spouse.
Kuslevic is expected to be transferred to Bodrum ahead of a hearing listed for 1st April. Police have not revealed details of his military background or which oligarchs he worked for.
Irina and Dayana were later repatriated to Russia and buried on 27th December 2023 at a cemetery in the Moscow region, after relatives and friends raised funds to bring them home.
(Mike Leidig / Newsflash)