MEDFORD, Mass. — The bodies of two men from Medford, Massachusetts, who were reported missing last week were found in a storage unit, authorities said. Officials confirm a suspect has been arrested.
In a news release, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office confirmed that the bodies of Kiryl Schukin, 37, and Pavel Vekshin, 28, were found early Saturday at a storage unit in Brighton, Massachusetts. Both men were stabbed to death.
Leonid Volkov, 37, was arrested in connection. The DA’s office said Volkov was known to both of the men.
On Friday, investigators executed a search warrant at the Brighton storage unit. The DA’s office said the defendant used one of the victims’ names to rent the space. Once investigators made their way inside, they discovered Schukin and Vekshin’s bodies in rubber storage bins. Schukin was reportedly dismembered.
Investigators also found bleach, rubber gloves, and other items that belonged to the victims, the DA’s office said.
“In this particular case where the subjects are known to each other and we have the suspect in custody, we strongly believe there is no danger to the community,” Medford Police Department Chief Buckley said in a statement on Facebook.
The Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the cause of death for Schukin and Vekshin as a homicide, according to WFXT.
During the investigation, authorities learned that Schukin had been a guarantor on a lease for an apartment for Volkov. According to the news outlet, he had declined to continue to be Volkov’s guarantor as he sought to extend his lease, resulting in his eviction.
Officials believe that Volkov and Schukin met to rent a moving truck together on March 29. That U-Haul was reportedly found at the storage unit where Schukin and Vekhin’s bodies were found, WFXT reported. Authorities believe that Volkov used the U-Haul to move the bodies from the apartment to the storage unit.
Information about the relationship between Vekshin and Volkov has not yet been released.
Volkov has been charged with murder, according to the DA’s office. More charges are expected as the investigation continues, WFXT reported.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Medford Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the case, according to the news outlet.
