Cops make arrest in Bulgarian journalist's murder, rape

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- German police arrested a suspect Wednesday in the murder and rape of a Bulgarian journalist.

Bulgarian television journalist Viktoria Marinova, 30, had presented a program about fraud and corruption in her country, but Bulgarian authorities do not believe the murder and rape was related to her work.

Marinova had disappeared after going for a run along the Danube River in the northern town of Ruse on Saturday and later in the day a passerby found her body.

German police arrested Severin Krasimirov, 21, of Bulgaria, near Hamburg Tuesday at Bulgarian authorities' request.

"We have enough proof linking this person to the scene of the crime," Bulgaria's Interior Minister Mladen Marinov said Wednesday.

Mladden added that "Krasimirov, a resident of Ruse, has a criminal record for scrap metal theft."

Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said Krasmirov was already wanted for another rape and murder, and suggested it was a "spontaneous" attack, unrelated to her work.

Two other journalists have been killed in the European Union country within a year, fueling politicians speculation that her murder was related to attacks on free speech and the media in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov condemned politicians' statements criticizing Bulgaria and added that he may withdraw support for Manfred Weber to be the next head of the European Commission because of his critical tweets about the murder case.

"Over three days, I have read monstrous things about Bulgaria, none of them true," Borissov said.