Filip Zavadlav committed a triple murder and became the most desirable man in Croatia

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Three years ago today, Filip Zavadlav committed a triple murder in Split. In a bloody feast, he killed Marin Boban (25), Jurica Torlak (37) and Marin Ožić Paić (25). Although Zavadlav was sentenced to 40 years in prison in February 2021, that sentence was overturned, and his new trial should begin at the end of this month.

He will be tried again because the court canceled part of the first-instance verdict regarding the accusation that he planned revenge on people from the drug addiction milieu who extorted, threatened and physically attacked his brother and him personally. On January 11, 2020, Zavadlav killed Boban, Torlak and Ožić Paić, who were on bicycles at the time of the murder, with 37 bullets from an automatic rifle in Varoš, Split. Only a few hours after the bloodshed, he surrendered to the police in front of those present. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for each murder, he was sentenced to one year for illegal possession of a weapon, and two years in prison for endangering security, which is all combined into a sentence of 40 years, writes Večernji list.

During the trial, numerous witnesses were questioned, video recordings were reviewed, and Filip Zavadlav was declared insane by a psychological and psychiatric examination.

– I completely deny the commission of the criminal offense that I am accused of. I didn’t do it, why would I do something like that? It’s not my fault! I ask that you acquit me of the charges and that I be nominated for the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize – Zavadlav defended himself and shocked the court with his statement.

After he was arrested, numerous Facebook support groups were opened for Zavadlav, and letters of support, especially from the female population, began to arrive in prison.

He received dozens of letters a week in which girls expressed their love for him, even offered marriage, said they would wait for him, called him a hero.

At one point, he had so many gifts and letters in his cell that he didn’t know what to do with them.

Let us recall that during the evidentiary proceedings it was established that Zavadlav acted with direct intent, the experts established mixed personality disorders, but not that he suffered from a mental illness and that he was significantly reduced.

It was the significantly reduced counts, as well as difficult family circumstances, that were mitigating circumstances, and aggravated by previous convictions, brutality, determination, cold-bloodedness, the use of lethal weapons and the fact that he did not express sympathy for the victims of the family or show remorse.

After the announcement of the verdict, Zavadlav’s defense attorney Branko Šerić announced the appeal to journalists and stated that he was satisfied that the court accepted the defense’s claim that the motive was not revenge. His lack of motivation convinces him many times that Philip was not responsible.

“Not only is he severely impaired, he’s completely unaccountable. What other motive would there be if it wasn’t revenge or reckless revenge. One inexplicable, compulsive behavior that can be attributed to his insanity. We’ll see what happens on appeal. “I’ll try again. I better explain the claim about his incapacity and hire experts who will help me deal with his mental state,” said lawyer Šerić.

Also, while the search for the missing young man from Split, Matej Periš, was still going on, Periš’s school friend pointed out that Matej and Filip used to hang out and be friends.

– The fact that Matej is a friend of Filip Zavadlav, what does that have to do with it? One should not generalize things. You have no idea how Matthew was affected by Philip’s murders – he said then.

Kurir.rs/Večernji.hr

Courier