Slovak Journalist’s Death Was Likely a ‘Contract Killing’

The February murder of Slovak investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée was likely a “contract killing,” investigators said. “There were no signs of struggle and most likely nothing had been stolen, which suggests it was a contract killing,” a prosecutor said. Last month, Kuciak, 27, was shot twice in the chest and his 27-year-old fiancée, Martina Kusnirova, was shot once in the head inside their home near Bratislava. After interviewing 200 people, the police have yet to charge anyone with the slayings. Police said they have been pursuing several leads related to Kuciak’s work, which covered a “Slovak businessman mentioned in the Panama Papers” and “fraud cases involving businessmen with Slovak political ties.” The journalist was also investigating Slovak businesses with suspected ties to the Italian mafia. Kuciak’s death sparked mass protests that led to Prime Minister Robert Fico resigning from office.