Six suspects confessed on Friday to the brutal mass murder of 12 people in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, Governor Alexander Tkachev said on Friday.
The bodies of 12 people, including eight adults and four children, were found in a house in the village of Kushchevskaya, Krasnodar region, on November 5. The adults were stabbed to death, three of the children were strangled and the other died of smoke inhalation.
Serever Ametov, 51, the farmer who owned the house is believed to have been celebrating a Russian public holiday on November 4 with his family and friends.
Police earlier detained six suspects including an alleged organizer. The identities of the detainees have not been disclosed, but police said they were "active members" of a local gang.
"I am sure all those involved in this atrocity will get what they deserve. The villagers have nothing fear; the situation is fully under control," Tkachev said, adding that he would resign if the murderers escaped punishment.
Local investigators are probing five major versions of the mass murder, including personal dislike and the business activities of the victims. They said the case showed "no signs of extremism, terrorism, inter-ethnic or inter-confessional conflicts."
Russian media cited a 1990s dispute in which Ametov refused to cede his land to the local mafia as the main motive for the bloodbath.
The Krasnodar region is located northwest of Russia's troubled North Caucasus.
MOSCOW, November 19 (RIA Novosti)
