Found Deceased Russia - Catherine Serou, 34, American, got in car w/ stranger, Nizhny Novgorod, 15 Jun 2021 arrest

[modesty blaise]

Different people have different relationships with their parents. You therefore can't base her behavior on yourself.

Ok.
It was meant in the context of maybe someone harming her and trying to throw off the authorities.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

The suspect is being investigated on charges of abduction and murder that carry a maximum sentence of 15 years prison, according to police. A decision on charges and pre-trial detention will be made in the near future, the Investigative Committee said in the statement.

Female former US Marine found dead in Russia

 

[modesty blaise]

The suspect is being investigated on charges of abduction and murder that carry a maximum sentence of 15 years prison, according to police. A decision on charges and pre-trial detention will be made in the near future, the Investigative Committee said in the statement.

Female former US Marine found dead in Russia

15 years??

 

[GuyfromCanada]

15 years??

Yes... Europe in general is much more softer on criminals than USA and even Canada.

 

[jjenny]

15 years??

US gives out much longer sentences than many other countries do.

 

[jjenny]

Suspect charged.
"According to the court's statement, the suspect saw the victim, identified as S., at a bus stop around 7 p.m. local time that night and offered her a ride."
Catherine Serou: Suspect charged with murder in death of missing American student in Russia - CNN

 

[Charlot123]

I totally agree, his initial description of their relationship raised my hackles. Even if true, it seemed insensitive to publicly characterize their “open relationship” as having been the result of his “loss of interest” in Catherine.

Body Of Missing American Student Said Found In Russia, Suspect Detained

Catherine Serou

Man detained on suspicion of murder in Russia, after body of missing US woman is found

Am I alone in finding her professional trajectory somewhat unorthodox? God knows I love when students have diverse academic interests, especially in the arts and the humanities, but there’s just something about the chronology (as described by her mother in articles linked above and CS’s own ResearchGate page) that makes me wonder if she was floundering a bit, seeking a path but not quite able to settle on one.

Piecing together info from previous articles linked by others and the ones I have linked in this post, it appears she was a US Marine who served in Afghanistan, then got a BA in Design, and an MA in Art History, from UC Davis. At Davis, she claimed to have experienced discrimination from her professors on the grounds of her political beliefs; she is quoted in this article from the student newspaper in 2018. The elephant in the room | The Aggie

She also explains her interest in Art History in this “meet the new grad students” video posted by UCD’s Art History program in 2018: Log into Facebook

She got her MA in Art History in 2019 and shortly thereafter, “sold her California condominium” and moved to Russia to get another MA, this time in Law,
with the intention of returning to the US and working as an immigration lawyer. A Russian MA degree, even if focused on the study of the law, seems unlikely to prepare one for the bar exams one must pass in the States to be allowed to practice law.

This is going to sound crazy, but I wonder if she might’ve actually been employed in some covert/below-the-radar role (like gathering intel) for one of the US’s intelligence agencies.Even in the video I posted above, she seems more at ease asking questions to draw out more details from her colleagues than talking about her own interests.

All of this conjecture aside, I find it infuriating (on many levels) that a seemingly worldly, accomplished young woman such as herself should have her life cut short by what the international press seems to be characterizing as a stupid decision to get in a car with an unknown man. Worse still, the suspect in custody apparently has a long, violent and disturbing criminal record,

All I am thinking is, if she were trained to be below the radar, she’d probably be more aware and not get in that car, you know?

I have some FB friends who (I wonder) once had such a role, and they usually post a lot, but at the same time are…paranoid, for lack of a better term? And very mentally organized. From her life story, she comes across as more naive, perhaps unable to find an adequate job. Definitely not “trained well”.

What is true, though, is that there is a wide-used habit in post-Soviet space to jump into any car available. We all did it. In this, she was not unusual, just unlucky.

 

[jjenny]

This article has a photo of the suspect. He looks like any other guy. It's not obvious he has a long criminal history. He doesn't even appear to have tattoos.
Suspect arraigned in killing of American student in Russia | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)

 

[Charlot123]

Суд в Нижегородской области арестовал на два месяца убийцу американской студентки

This is a Life article in Russian. The guy’s name is Alexey Popov. He can be seen here, on a video. If you want to find details about him or the case, use Google Translate. His previous charges were of sexual nature.

P.S. the guy looks very average and does not give me any bad vibes. So getting into a car, especially if he played his role well, negotiated the price, looked interested in the money, was thinking whether to take her or not, I could. Makes sense to take a photo of any license plate before one does it, though.

 

[Ursamajr]

This article has a photo of the suspect. He looks like any other guy. It's not obvious he has a long criminal history. He doesn't even appear to have tattoos.
Suspect arraigned in killing of American student in Russia | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)

BBM what?? Kind of a strange thing to say.

 

[jjenny]

BBM what?? Kind of a strange thing to say.

Why is that a strange thing to say?
"In the era of the Soviet party, Russian prisons were controlled by a gang known as the Thieves in Law. This gang enforced strict guidelines, including what and where prisoners could tattoo on their bodies."
12 Russian prison tattoos and their meanings (corrections1.com)

 

[jjenny]

Another article about prison tattoos in Russia.
"There is nowhere else on Earth where that is more true than in the Russian prison system. Every prisoner is marked, every drop of ink holds meaning, and the symbols are a language in and of themselves. Each body tells a unique story of time served and crimes committed."
Secrets Written on the Skin: Russian Prison Tattoos - Cloak and Dagger Tattoo London (cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk)

 

[Ursamajr]

Another article about prison tattoos in Russia.
"There is nowhere else on Earth where that is more true than in the Russian prison system. Every prisoner is marked, every drop of ink holds meaning, and the symbols are a language in and of themselves. Each body tells a unique story of time served and crimes committed."
Secrets Written on the Skin: Russian Prison Tattoos - Cloak and Dagger Tattoo London (cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk)

I am aware. Though, prison culture tattoos aren't exclusive to Russia and tattoo culture isn't exclusive to prisons. You made it sound as if tattoos = criminal.

 

[jjenny]

I am aware. Though, prison culture tattoos aren't exclusive to Russia and tattoo culture isn't exclusive to prisons. You made it sound as if tattoos = criminal.

My point is, it's extremely common in Russia for those who served time in prison to have tattoos. If you know how to read them, they can even tell you what crimes this person committed. This particular suspect doesn't appear to have any visible tattoos, despite long criminal history and presumably serving time in prison.

 

[Charlot123]

Why is that a strange thing to say?
"In the era of the Soviet party, Russian prisons were controlled by a gang known as the Thieves in Law. This gang enforced strict guidelines, including what and where prisoners could tattoo on their bodies."
12 Russian prison tattoos and their meanings (corrections1.com)

“Thieves-in-law” were the guys who considered it shameful to work for USSR, they’d rather steal. Their tattoos had special meaning, it was the prison language. Today, 70% of tattoos made in Russian prisons are “artsy” and 30% have criminal meaning, but no one would push a convict to make them. The opposite is true, if your “criminal” tattoo does not fit your status, the “old thieves” might make you remove it. (Or else, Popov may have them on his body, and we don’t see them).

 

[jjenny]

“Thieves-in-law” were the guys who considered it shameful to work for USSR, they’d rather steal. Their tattoos had special meaning. Today, 70% of tattoos made in Russian prisons are “artsy” and 30% have criminal meaning, but no one would push a convict to make them. Or else, Popov may have them on his body.

The suspect wasn't exactly born yesterday. He is in his forties, and supposedly has a long criminal history. My point is, he looks very clean cut for someone with long criminal history, and victim would have no suspicions of him when she got into his car.

 

[Charlot123]

Popov wasn't exactly born yesterday. He is in his forties, and supposedly has a long criminal history. My point is, he looks very clean cut for someone with long criminal history, and victim would have no suspicions of him when she got into his car.

Very clean, and very well-fed. Not unhealthy at all, this would be more a giveaway for a person with long prison term. But we don’t know what his exact charges were, and if he spent time in prison, got suspended sentence or was on probation. I also tend to think that he must have had a decent car, for an American student to get into it.

 

[jjenny]

Very clean, and very well-fed. Not unhealthy at all, this would be more a giveaway for a person with long prison term. But we don’t know what his exact charges were, and if he spent time in prison, got suspended sentence or was on probation. I also tend to think that he must have had a decent car, for an American student to get into it.

From what has been reported, his charged were along the lines of rape and sexual assault. One would think he wouldn't just get probation?

 

[Charlot123]

From what has been reported, his charged were along the lines of rape and sexual assault. One would think he wouldn't just get probation?

I think I understand what your question and concern is. In any case of a young woman being murdered, there is immense pressure on LE, and in an international case, doubly so. But I can only repost what I got from today’s article. We shall know more, no doubt.

 

[jjenny]

I think I understand what your question and concern is. In any case of a young woman being murdered, there is immense pressure on LE, and in an international case, doubly so. But I can only repost what I got from today’s article. We shall know more, no doubt.

I don't have a concern, rather an explanation why a woman would get into this guy's car-he looks very average and clean cut, his criminal history is not evident, he does not raise suspicions.