RIGA - The brutal murder of American missionary Drew Rush will be re-examined by the Latvian Supreme Court, which is due to hear the criminal case against the two young men charged with his slaying in Riga in 2004.
Last October, the Riga Regional Court found Karlis Magone and Ingus Smitkins guilty of murdering Rush and sentenced them to 20 years and 15 years in jail respectively. They were also ordered to pay 1,753 lats (2,526 euros) from damage to Rush's Agape Mission and 2,500 lats to his family for funeral costs.
Rush, 50, was found dead in his apartment in central Riga on Nov. 1, 2004. He had been living in Latvia for more than two years and his professional activities were related to Latvia's National Armed Forces where he was propagating his belief and teaching English.
On Nov. 4 the Latvian police detained two suspects; Magone, who was doing the compulsory military service in the Latvian army, and Smitkins, who was unemployed.
Magone knew the victim and had previously borrowed money from him.
On Oct. 27 both men came to the missionary's flat, hoping to borrow more money. Rush invited them in for tea but refused to lend them any money. The two men then attacked Rush, first strangling him and then stabbing him in the chest to make sure he was dead.
They took from his apartment two laptop computers, a mobile phone, a digital photo camera and some other electric appliances as well as cash. In money terms, the loot came close to 4,500 lats.
Magone did not admit his guilt in the murder of the missionary, but accepted other charges brought against him. Smitkins, meanwhile, fully admitted his guilt in the murder.
According to the court verdict, both defendants provided contradictory testimonies during the trial, blaming each other for the killing. Nevertheless, the court decided to trust Smitkins' testimonies that were confirmed by other evidence in the case.
Both defendants were declared mentally accountable for their crimes. The court did not find any mitigating circumstances for Magone, but recognized Smitkins' frank confession and repentance as a mitigating circumstance.
A spokeswoman for the Latvian Supreme Court said the case would be heard on June 26.
