STA, 11 November 2019 - The Koper District Court sentenced on Monday Marko Matić to a maximum, 30-year prison sentence for the murder of his 75-year-old stepsister and his 83-year-old husband in Krkavče in August 2018. Judge Julijan Glavina said the motive for the brutal and cold-blooded murder was personal gain. The ruling is not final yet.
Matić was found guilty of the double murder, and got 25 years for each of the murders, which translated into a joint 30-year sentence, as the prosecution demanded.
Neither Matić nor his lawyer were present in court today.
During the trial, the prosecution had presented evidence that Matić's family was in dispute with his stepsister's family over land deals.
The murdered couple sold some land to Matić's family ten years ago but did not receive the money for it in full, so a court later annulled the sale. But prior to this, the Matićs transferred some of that land to one of their sons, who used it as collateral for a loan.
Since the son did not pay back the loan, the land was to be seized, and last February even the house of Matić's stepsister was to be auctioned off.
The disputes were being processed in court and police had to intervene between the two families on several occasions, media have reported.
The 71-year-old Matić committed the double murder on 4 August 2018 with a blunt object. He first attacked the 83-year-old, who died at the scene, and then his 75-year-old wife, who later died in hospital. He was seen at the crime scene by a neighbour, whom he urged to call the police. He did not resist the arrest and showed no remorse throughout the trial.
His defence claimed he had acted in self-defence.
