Death of Batchev May Be Linked to Assassin

January 8th, 2038: 
Death of Batchev May Be Linked to International Assassin -
Renown independent Bulgarian journalist, Petar Batchev, was found shot to death this morning on the floor of his room at the Saray Hotel in Edirine, Turkey. According to hotel employees, Batchev had checked in only 72 hours prior to his murder. 
Forensic evidence on the scene is still being analysed, but Turkish police have revealed that both the style of slaying, and the calibre of bullet used, are in line with a string of international murders allegedly tied to a single assassin dubbed "the Viper" by journalists worldwide.
Batchev's body was discovered by housekeeping staff at 8:15am this morning, and a report was made by hotel security to the police shortly after. Batchev was found with his personal laptop destroyed, but all identification and valuables intact. He was also found to be carrying a forged passport and travel documents under a false name as-yet unreleased by authorities.
Police believe Batchev had recently been following the activities of Ex-Bulgarian General Kiril Angelov, now leader of the Homeless Mercenaries, as countless documents pertaining to them were found strewn across the floor, and pinned to the walls of the hotel room. One article dated August 29, 2022 was apparently central to the mosaic, and detailed the death of Batchev's father, one Srgt. Andrej Batchev, while under Angelov's command during the Resource Wars. Investigations are currently underway to determine whether Angelov and/or his organization hold any connection to Batchev or the Viper.
Batchev had covered a number of controversial topics, including the black market sale of illegal XGone materials rampant within Bulgaria, and the recent referendum on his nation's disarmament. His methods of information gathering had been considered by some of his peers to be somewhat unscrupulous, but he had enjoyed much popularity regardless, throughout Eastern Europe and abroad.
"The Viper" has been tied to a number of international assassinations in the past year, including that of the newly-appointed Pakistani delegate to the Global Senate, Hussein Gibran, last March, and South Korean Worldview Industries research scientist, Kyung-Soon Han, last June. In each case the deceased was found shot from a moderate distance and with hollow-point bullets containing the rare and deadly poison, polonium-210.
Category:Viper
Category:Petar Batchev