Mikutavičius admits killings and tells court he does not regret them

Benas Mikutavičius admitted killing two women and said he did not regret it when his trial opened at Kaunas Regional Court on Friday, LRT reported. Asked whether he was sorry, he smiled and replied, “On the contrary.”

Seated behind a glass partition, Mikutavičius smiled repeatedly and moved his hands nervously. He also said, somewhat indistinctly, that things could have been worse, and indicated that he had “of course” planned the crimes.

Asked by the judge whether he admitted guilt, Mikutavičius said: “I admit that I did it.” He told the court he had planned both killings in advance, but asked the judge how exactly he should recount what happened.

Mikutavičius said he had not previously argued with his cousin, the first victim, and that their conflict began over apartment rent. They had lived together for a time, but he was asked to move out in 2024. “I then snapped over being made to move out,” he said.

One of the victims’ relatives is seeking 109,000 euros in compensation for financial and non-financial damages. The claim includes funeral expenses and the emotional distress suffered, her lawyer Aleksandras Pocius told the court. The judges added the claim to the case for consideration. Mikutavičius did not object. The other people recognised as victims did not attend and asked for the hearing to proceed without them. Around 20 witnesses are listed in the case, but none were called to the first hearing.

Mikutavičius is charged with murder and murder by torture or other exceptionally cruel means. The latter offence carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment.

The case was sent to court in October. Prosecutors say Mikutavičius, born in 1996, fatally stabbed a woman born in 2003 in an apartment in Kaunas on December 4. A second woman, born in 2001, was killed soon afterwards in another apartment nearby. The first victim was his relative; the second worked for a company that rented out homes.

Prosecutor Darius Jakutis previously said the first killing was spontaneous, although it had been “building up”, and described the second as even more spontaneous. Mikutavičius had earlier admitted guilt in part. After the killings, he locked the apartment doors, leaving keys broken in the locks, and tried to evade capture by changing his appearance and clothes. He spent the first night in Kleboniskis Forest and was detained by residents the following evening in Kalniečiai Park. He sprayed gas at the first women who spotted him. Investigators said he had prepared to hide, taking extra clothes and food and discarding his phone, which was found in a rubbish container.