Almost seven years after the crimes that shocked Cyprus, the case of the country’s first Cypriot serial killer continues to raise disturbing questions.
A new seven-part documentary, Pleiades, available exclusively on ERTFLIX, revisits the case through testimonies and accounts from key figures involved in the investigation.
The Cypriot production features investigators, experts who contributed to solving the crimes and relatives of the women who were killed.
Livia and Elena were first victims
Livia and her daughter, Elena Bunea, were the first victims linked to the serial killer.
In October 2016, the Sigma TV programme Mesimeri kai Kati, then presented by journalist Gogo Alexandrinou, received information about the disappearance of a mother and her daughter.
The programme’s journalists contacted police, who publicly stated that all necessary checks had been carried out and that the woman had left her home with her personal belongings.
However, the documentary revisits claims by the landlord that police never entered Livia’s apartment.
According to her account, an officer told her there was no need to enter because “that’s what they do”.
Livia and Elena lived alone in an apartment in Agios Pavlos. Livia was raising Elena Natalia alone after separating from her husband.
They were officially reported missing on 3 October 2016.
In hindsight, the case raises questions over whether further action at the time could have led authorities to the killer before he went on to murder five more victims.
Funeral held in Arediou
The funerals of Livia and Elena were held in Arediou, after authorities contacted the community and the village’s leader agreed to accept the two women for burial.
Speaking in the documentary, the community leader recalled being contacted by officers from the Klirou Police Station, who told him that nobody else was willing to bury the two women.
He said accepting them was the least he could do, adding that he did not want them to “suffer even in death”.
The documentary brings together accounts from people directly connected to the investigation, offering a renewed look at the events surrounding the disappearances and murders.
Also read: Pleiades: Documentary revisits serial killer Orestis that shocked Cyprus
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