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British Police Identify Killer in Radiation Case

Posted by Zonk on from the hercule-poirot-to-the-white-phone-please dept.

reporter writes "According to a front-page story by The Guardian, British authorities have identified Andrei Lugovoi to be the murderer who used radioactive pollonium-210 to kill Andrei Litvinenko. The British government will ask Moscow to extradite Lugovoi. The Guardian states: 'Associates of the dead man have repeatedly accused President Vladimir Putin's government of being behind his murder, a claim the Kremlin rejects. While it is known that detectives believe they have uncovered evidence pointing to Mr Lugovoi's involvement, it is not clear whether they have established a motive for the murder'"

4 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. ya right by mastershake_phd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    10:1 this guy dies mysteriously or disappears.

    --
    Libertarian Leaning Political Discussion Forum.
  2. He ASKED for this... by Karganeth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There was absolutely no need for the James Bond style assasination. Why not just shoot the bugger using a silencer? Advantages of using a gun:

    1. Weapon doesn't decay.
    2. Don't need to visit a nuclear reactor (which will have very restricted access on) to get one.
    3. Doesn't leave a HUGE trail of everywhere you have been with it.
    4. Less chance of target surving long enough to give full description of you.

    This assasination was far too elaborate...

  3. Can we fix the headline? by Stonent1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Could we change the Slashdot headline to say they have charged someone. Legally a representative of the police or any legal branch of a government, would not say "We've identified the killer". It is up to the courts to decide if he killed someone, not the police. The police can only supply evidence to the prosecutor and a jury will decide if he did it or not.

  4. Re:A better question by ptbarnett · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Why would anyone poison someone with many more times the amount required to kill them with a material that is so expensive and easy to trace? There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier ways to kill someone. Ways that would garner much less attention.

    And that's exactly why I believe this method was used.

    No individual or even group would have been able to get that much polonium, without at least the tacit approval of a government with a sufficiently advanced nuclear program. The list of potential suppliers is very short.

    This was a message, which is very clear to dissenters and critics: you can't hide. We can get to you, or at least those that are close to you, no matter where you are.