Yelena Grigoryeva, a Russian LGBTQ activist who had been targeted on a ‘gay hunting’ website inspired by the horror film Saw, was murdered in St. Petersburg over the weekend. Grigoryeva’s body was found in bushes near her home.
Now, police say they have arrested a suspect.
Radio Free Europe reports: ‘The Investigative Committee said on July 25 that an acquaintance of Grigoryeva, a Kyrgyz-born resident of St. Petersburg, had been arrested on suspicion of killing the activist, who was found dead, apparently strangled and with multiple stab wounds, according to local media. The man, whose name was not released, killed Grigoryeva during an altercation and had no political motive, the committee said. “As a result of materials collected by investigators about the deceased woman, it has been established that she led an asocial lifestyle, repeatedly drinking alcoholic beverages with various people, including the suspect,” the committee said in a statement.’
The NY Daily News reported on the Saw-inspired site, which was shut down last week: ‘Inspired by, and named after, the “Saw’ horror movie franchise, the website directed people to track down and assault people who were believed to be LGBTQ. When it started operating around April, 2018, “Saw” welcomed “gay hunters” in a “game” called “Chechnya’s Comeback.” It asked participants to find their targets, and publish their personal information online. According to GayStarNews.com, the site charged 200 rubles ($3) to go through its database. If someone found their name on the website, they had to pay 1,500 rubles ($23) to be removed. The “game” offered legal protection to “users,” and warned them that they could do anything, except kill the targets.’
