The Sofia Court of Appeals has reduced the sentence of Orlin Vladimirov, convicted of murdering his wife Evgenia, from life imprisonment to 20 years. Evgenia, 33, was discovered in a suitcase submerged in a pond in late 2021. Orlin Vladimirov and his father, Plamen Vladimirov, were both originally sentenced to life in prison by the Sofia Court of Appeals in 2023.

In December 2024, the Supreme Court of Cassation overturned these life sentences, citing procedural concerns, and sent the case back for a retrial before a new panel at the Court of Appeals. Following the new hearing, the court issued a 20-year prison term for Orlin Vladimirov, while his father Plamen was acquitted.

The court noted that procedural violations had occurred during the original trial. Specifically, evidence involving police officers’ reconstructions of “operational conversations” with the defendants had been improperly excluded from the discussion.

The verdict is not yet final. Julian Lefterov, the prosecutor, remarked that one member of the panel had issued a special opinion that is well-argued and consistent with decisions from other Supreme Court panels, suggesting that there are no obstacles to further questioning of witnesses.

Lyudmil Rangelov, representing the victim’s family, expressed the profound grief caused by the case, stating, “Each of you can imagine what it means to have your child's life interrupted in this way. There is no measure of suffering.”