A prominent Russian historian has confessed to murdering his lover and former student after being dragged from a river whilst wearing a backpack containing a woman’s arms.
According to local media reports, Oleg Sokolov, 63, was drunk and fell into the river in St Petersburg whilst attempting to dispose of the body parts of 24-year-old Anastasia Yeshenko.
After the grisly discovery was made, investigators reportedly discovered Yeshenko’s decapitated body and a saw inside Sokolov’s city apartment.
“A 63-year-old man was rescued from the River Moika,” police said in statement.
They confirmed that the arms of a woman had been found in his backpack, and said the man had been detained on suspicion of murder.
Although investigators did not initially name the man, police told AFP that the suspect was in fact Sokolov.
The professor has written several books on Napoleon Bonaparte, acted as a historical consultant on several films and received France’s Légion d’Honneur in 2003.
His lawyer Alexander Pochuyev told AFP “he has admitted his guilt”, and had expressed regret for his actions.
Sokolov reportedly told police he had killed his Yeshenko during an argument and had used a saw to dismember her.
He then planned to dispose of her body before publicly taking his own life whilst dressed as Napoleon.
He had previously co-authored several academic works with Yeshenko.
It is believed that Sokolov was taken to hospital, where he is currently being detained, to be treated for hypothermia after being pulled from the river.