Mexican authorities recapture Anastasia Lechtchenko for double homicide

Ten days after allegedly murdering her mother and young sister, 19-year-old Anastasia Lechtchenko has been detained by authorities in Tijuana, Mexico.

The accused after her arrest

It is believed that Ms. Lechtchenko murdered and dismembered her mother Yuliya Masney Safonchik, aged 45, as well as Valeria Lechtchenko, 12.

After the bodies were discovered, Anastasia Lechtchenko allegedly confessed to her crimes, telling the police that she thought her mother and sister were “witches”.

The presiding judge, citing lack of DNA evidence, released the young woman, causing a minor uproar in Tijuana. Judge Ana Isabel Flores then promptly issued an arrest warrant, and the hunt was on.

Now in jail in Tijuana, Anastasia Lechtchenko is facing criminal charges for the double murder. There is no word as of yet whether there will be a psychiatric assessment.

TE Wilson is the author of Mezcalero, a Detective Sánchez novel. 

For a detailed look at this case see:

Russian teenager who confessed to murdering and dismembering her mother and sister, claiming they were “witches”, released in Tijuana,Mexico