Russian Scientist Behind Covid Sputnik V Vaccine, Strangled To Death With A Belt
Russian scientist Andrey Botikov, one behind the invention of COVID -19 vaccine Sputnik V was on Thursday morning strangled to death with a belt at his apartment in Moscow, Rogova street.
In a domestic melee that rose between him and a 29- year old man, Botikov was left death as the suspect ran for safety.
According to news report by Russian News Agency TASS on Saturday, the 29- year-old man identified as Alexey Vladimirovich Zmanovsky after strangling Botikov to death, ran for safety but later arrested by the Russian Federation’s Investigative Committee.
Andrey Botikov, 47, who worked as a senior researcher at the Gamaleya National Research Center for Ecology and Mathematics, was in 2021 honoured by President Vladimir Putin with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland Awards for participating with 18 other virologists in inventing the COVID-19 vaccine.
” After the attacker disappearing, his location was established in short order and during interrogation, he pled guilty and was charged. The defendant has a previous criminal record, as he stood trial on charges of committing a serious crime. In the near future, the investigation plans to petition the court to place the defendant in custody pending trial,” the Investigative Committee said.
However, the victim is in custody until May as his charges continue pending according to Khoroshevo District Court report.
“The Moscow City’s Khoroshevo District Court has ruled to put Alexey Vladimirovich Zmanovsky in custody until May 2 while pending trial on charges of killing Andrey Botikov, a researcher at the Gamaleya center. According to the investigation, the victim was one of the developers of the Sputnik V vaccine. The defendant has pleaded guilty before the court in session,” the court said.
Zmanovsky is also reported to be involved in serious criminal scene in the previous years where he was jailed for 10 years.
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