A ‘depressed’ husband killed his wife before taking his own life in a murder-suicide before their housemate found the couple dead just feet from their sleeping two-year-old child, it is believed.
The toddler was discovered unharmed in his bed at the Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire property by a close friend of his parents – optometrist Lana Nemceva, 33, and Kiril Nemcev, 32, a chef at Pizza Express.
Police today revealed that they believe Lana was murdered and that Kiril took his life, adding that officers were not looking for another suspect.
Their son was said to have been asleep at the semi-detached home in Henhurst Hill when the tragedy broke out.
The Latvian couple, named locally as 32-year-old Kiril Nemcev and Lana Nemceva, 23, were found dead at their semi-detached rented home on Wednesday night
Today tributes were paid to the Lana, a Boots optometrist, and Kiril, a Pizza Express chef who had a passion for cars
Photographs on social media show the couple enjoying holidays and meals out together
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Ison said today: ‘An investigation into the two deaths is ongoing.
‘Following initial enquiries, the 33-year-old woman’s death is being treated as murder and the 31-year-old’s death is not being treated as suspicious. At this stage, we are not looking for anyone else and a post mortem is due to take place to establish the cause of death.
‘The man and woman’s families have been informed and have asked that they are given privacy at this difficult time.’
The 47-year-old friend, who shared the home with the Latvian couple, said he discovered the couple’s bodies after returning home from work on Wednesday night – then frantically searched their semi-detached home for the little boy.
The warehouse worker, a fellow Latvian who met Kiril when both lived in Hampshire around eight years ago, said the married couple had been arguing in recent weeks, and the pizza chef had also been given medication by his doctor.
The Latvian couple were found dead at their semi-detached rented home on Wednesday night by a close friend who also lived at the property (pictured: A tribute laid at the house today)
‘Kiril had complained to me that he was tired at work and had been to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling well,’ he said. ‘I think it was maybe depression – he told me that Lana didn’t understand him.
‘They had been a happy couple but there had been a tension between them in recent weeks.
‘Lana was upset because she said Kiril always thought he was in the right and she was always in the wrong.
‘But I don’t know what could have triggered something like this to happen.
‘I had a coffee with her before I went to work on Wednesday and she seemed fine.’
The friend said that he found the child asleep in his bed, and once he knew the boy was safe he called 999 and woke him up to check he wasn’t injured.
Police said post mortems would take place in due course and formal identification has not yet taken place
Police and forensic officers at the property in Henhurst Hill in Burton on Trent yesterday
A toddler, thought to be the couple’s son, was found safe and well by police – who are today continuing to carry out post-mortem tests but are treating the deaths as a potential murder-suicide
The first floral tributes were today laid to the ‘beautiful’ couple, with flowers placed outside their home as police were continuing post-mortem tests, treating the deaths as a potential murder-suicide.
Tributes continued to amass for the couple as a fundraising page passed £2,500 in just three hours.
Another close friend of the couple, Nikita Ascuks, 33, who runs his own freight business, said: ‘Kiril was my best friend and we are just in complete shock at what has happened.
‘We were very close and there is nothing I can say to explain this.
‘They got on so well, they seemed very much in love and were both stable people.’
Mr Ascuks added that he thought Lana and Kiril were ‘the perfect, happy couple’ who ‘got on so well’.
Kiril Nemcev and Lana Nemceva (pictured together) were found in the property on Wednesday
Detectives pictured at the scene investigating on September 5, while the toddler remains in the care of relatives
He said that Kiril came to the UK about six years ago and settled in Winchester before meeting Lana on a trip home to Latvia, and the couple were married in the summer of 2016.
Forensic officers could be seen entering the property with masks and white overalls yesterday.
Colleagues at Pizza Express in Tamworth told how Kiril had not turned up for his scheduled shift on Wednesday evening.
His wife took Wednesday as her regular day off.
A neighbour said: ‘She seemed lovely and polite and a really bubbly, likeable character. We’re not sure what’s happened but they haven’t lived there long.
Flowers were placed outside the home of Lana Nemceva, 23, and Kiril Nemcev, 32, in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire today
Forensic officers are seen here carrying out items from the house to be examined yesterday
‘They just seemed like a normal family.’
A policeman stood guard at the semi-detached house, as three cars were cordoned off on the drive and on a grass verge outside.
Staffordshire Police said in a statement: ‘The deaths are being treated as unexplained at this time and post-mortems will take place in due course. Formal identification has not yet taken place.
‘A cordon is in place as forensic inquiries continue and detectives work to establish the circumstances around the deaths.
‘Local neighbourhood officers will be in the area today completing door-to-door inquiries and provide reassurance to the local community.’
Staff at Boots Opticians in Burton, where Lana worked as an optometrist, were handed time off by bosses after learning of the tragedy.
Her colleagues were granted compassionate leave yesterday and today, with workers from other branches stepping in.
They have also been offered counselling support.
Kevin Snowball, retail operations director for Boots Opticians, said: ‘We are devastated to learn of the sudden death of our colleague.
‘Our thoughts are with her family and our team. We are providing our colleagues with the support they require at this difficult time.’
