Cyprus Times

The Murder of the Hotelier from Rhodes, Wanted to Steal His Property. The Traffic Accident That Was Actually a Crime

Published January 21, 2026, 13:13
The Murder of the Hotelier from Rhodes, Wanted to Steal His Property. The Traffic Accident That Was Actually a Crime

Rhodes police have solved a murder that was initially presented as a traffic accident. The victim, 64-year-old hotelier Konstantinos Tsiantis, was found dead in a ravine in Pastida, but the investigation revealed that it was a well-planned murder motivated by the theft of his property. The perpetrator, a 48-year-old Ukrainian, had burglarized Tsiantis' home twice in April 2025, stealing money and valuables. The hotelier had named the Ukrainian as one of the perpetrators. The Ukrainian organized the murder, setting a trap that collapsed due to his own mistakes. Initially, he sent a message to Tsiantis' wife, pretending that her husband was in Lindos, while in reality he had killed him. He then tried to cover his tracks by making an anonymous call to the police to indicate the location of the victim's motorcycle. Police arrested the Ukrainian and discovered that he had been in constant conflict with Tsiantis regarding the future of his hotel. The motive was the theft of the victim's property and the disappearance of evidence.