MIDDLESEX COUNTY, Mass. (Court TV) – A Massachusetts man was arrested on murder charges after investigators said he killed two people and hid their bodies inside of a rented storage unit.
The Middlesex District Attorney and Medford Police Department announced the arrest of Leonid Volkov, who is accused of killing Kiryl Schukin, 37, and Pavel Vekshin, 28. Both bodies were found Saturday.
Leonid Volkov is facing charges connected to the deaths of Pavel Vekshin and Kiryl Schukin. (Medford Police Department)
The victims were first reported missing on April 9, but police said neither had been seen nor had spoken to anyone since March 30. In a news release prior to Volkov’s arrest, Medford police said they had located a vehicle belonging to one of the victims, and that both of their cell phones had been turned off.
The victims, who were married, were found in bins inside the storage unit. Investigators stated Vekshin’s body was intact in a bin, while Schukin had been dismembered and parts of his body had been placed into multiple bins. Detectives were unable to say where the victims were killed but said they had been stabbed. The medical examiner ruled both deaths as homicides.
In a news conference on Sunday, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan outlined the relationship between one of the victims and the suspect, saying Schukin had served as the guarantor for an apartment that Volkov had been leasing in Medford. According to investigators, Schukin had told Volkov that he was no longer willing to be the guarantor on the apartment, and Volken was going to be evicted as a result.
Ryan said Volkov and Schukin had a conversation inside of a U-Haul truck Volkov was driving on the evening of March 29, and Schukin was never seen alive again. The U-Haul truck was later found parked at the storage facility where the bodies were found.
The bodies of Pavel Vekshin (left) and Kiryl Schukin (right) were found in a storage unit on April 14. (Middlesex County District Attorney)
Investigators said surveillance video showed Volkov going in and out of the victim’s home in the days after the men were last seen. The storage unit had been rented by Volkov, using Schukin’s name, police said. Police said investigators found bleach, rubber gloves and other items traceable to Volken inside of the unit.
Detectives said they are continuing to investigate the case, but believe there is no danger to the community.
Ryan said that while Volkov has only been charged with one count of murder, she expects more charges to be filed in the coming days.
Volkov is scheduled to be arraigned on charges on April 18.
