On July 15, the Kaunas Regional Court concluded the criminal case in which a trio was accused of killing two men and nearly killing a third in Marijampolė over two days.
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They not only beat and cut the surviving drinking companion but also burned him, cut his fingers, and prepared to throw him out the window – knives, scissors, a lighter, cigarettes, and even pliers were used.
The investigation of this case was complex – the defendants constantly changed their testimonies, blamed each other, and tried to mislead officials.
The crimes are particularly intricate also because they occurred during multi-day drinking binges, so the participants’ memories are vague.
On November 25, 2023, upon the arrest of Laimonas Kaufmanas, an intoxication level of 3.80 per mille was determined, Nojus Bartninkas blew 2.01 per mille, and Paulina Gintvilaitė – 3.59 per mille.
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Returned from abroad and went for a drink
N. Bartninkas, born in 1999, is the youngest of the accused trio. Before the fateful events, he had just returned from abroad and decided to meet with acquaintances and have a few drinks.
He had no previous convictions, so he was the only one awaiting the court’s decision at liberty – intensive supervision was applied.
The second defendant, P. Gintvilaitė, born in 1993, had been convicted 9 times previously, and her lover L. Kaufmanas, born in 1987, had been convicted as many as 19 times.
P. Gintvilaitė and L. Kaufmanas are considered homeless people; before the murders, they had been staying in an abandoned metal garage. Stealing and consuming alcoholic beverages – that was their way of life.
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