Court begins evidence examination in brutal teen murder case in Vilnius

The Vilnius Regional Court has begun examining evidence in the case of a 15-year-old’s brutal murder in the capital’s Žvėrynas district, marking the start of substantive proceedings, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reports.

A court spokesperson confirmed that prosecutors presented the indictment during Monday’s hearing. The trial will resume in June with witness testimony. All proceedings remain closed to the public.

Prosecutors have charged a second 15-year-old—also born in 2010—with the murder. The victim’s body parts were discovered in a waste container and a nearby wooded area in Žvėrynas in August 2025 after the teen went missing from home. The suspect was detained the following day.

Under Lithuanian law, minors aged 14 and older can be prosecuted for murder, with maximum sentences capped at 10 years’ imprisonment. The suspect remains in pretrial detention after a two-month extension in April.

Conviction for murder involving torture or exceptional brutality carries a penalty of 8 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment for adults.