Three Suspects Face Interrogator Over 2024 Shepherd Attack in Rethymno

Three suspects arrested in connection with the 2024 attempted murder of a 71-year-old shepherd from Vilandredo, Rethymno, are scheduled to appear before the Rethymno interrogator on Wednesday. The arrests followed a meticulous, multi-month investigation by the Rethymno Security Sub-Directorate, which identified four men allegedly responsible for planning the violent assault nearly two years after the incident.

Among those arrested is a 42-year-old man from the victim's village, who is already imprisoned for a prior offense against the shepherd's son. Also implicated are the victim's 66-year-old uncle and two brothers from the same village. All four face charges including criminal organization, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, all committed jointly.

The case also includes two women, a judicial employee and the wife of the imprisoned 42-year-old, who are accused of bribery and receiving bribes. Authorities allege the judicial employee provided information about the investigation's progress to the 42-year-old's wife and the group. However, these two women have not yet been apprehended.

According to their pre-trial statements, the three arrested suspects deny any involvement. The individual who physically carried out the attack on September 6, 2024, by entering the sheepfold, shooting the shepherd, and causing severe injury, remains at large. Police do not believe any of the arrested men are the direct assailant, and the perpetrator's identity is unknown while the accused remain silent.

Investigators speculate the assailant may have been a paid hitman, similar to a previous attack on the shepherd's son on July 31, 2024, in the Koube area, where the 42-year-old allegedly ordered an attack with caustic liquid. The perpetrators of that incident were arrested and are serving prison sentences.

The attack on the shepherd in Vilandredo on September 6, 2024, sent shockwaves through the local community. The victim was assaulted at his sheepfold in the mountainous village and continues to suffer serious health consequences. The perpetrator reportedly planned the attack meticulously, knowing the area lacked security cameras and was difficult to access. The assailant allegedly disabled the sheepfold's security camera recorder beforehand and approached the location stealthily, waiting until 6 a.m. to shoot the shepherd. To prevent the victim from speaking, the attacker inflicted a severe injury to his tongue. The 71-year-old managed to alert his son and was hospitalized for months in intensive care.