DA: Bodies of missing Medford men found in storage unit, suspect arrested and charged with murder

MEDFORD, Mass — A 37-year-old Medford man has been charged with murder after the bodies of two missing Medford men were found in a storage unit, according to Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan.

Leonid Volkov is accused in the deaths of Pavel Vekshin, 28, and Kiryl Schukin, 37, who were last seen on March 30 and were reported missing by friends and coworkers on Sunday, April 9.

Police arrested Volkov on Saturday. Ryan said Volkov’s apartment was a point of contention with the couple.

It was a shocking end to a missing person investigation. Late Friday, police executed a search warrant on a iStorage facility unit on North Beacon Street in Brighton, which had been rented by Volkov using one of the victims’ names, and found the bodies of Schukin and Vekshin.

“Investigation shows that both men succumbed to multiple stab wounds,” said Ryan.

Ryan said the bodies were found in rubber bins.

“The body of the man identified as Mr. Schukin had, in fact, been dismembered and had been placed among several of those bins,” Ryan said.

Volkov, who was known to the victims, is now charged with murder.

“Mr. Schukin had been a guarantor on a lease of Mr. Volkov for an apartment here in Medford,” Ryan said. “As a result of some dispute, Mr. Schukin recently declined to continue in that role.”

A guarantor on a lease is basically taking on the responsibility to pay the rent, if the actual renter defaults.

Ryan said Schukin’s refusal to renew his role as guarantor was resulting in Volkov’s eviction.

Friends and co-workers reported Schukin and Vekshin missing about a week ago. But Ryan said Schukin was last seen alive on March 29th. That’s when he and Volkov were seen conversing inside the cab of a rented U-Haul truck.

“We later determined that an individual identified as Mr. Volkov was seen on video in the ensuing days entering and leaving the apartment building of the victims,” Ryan said. “Police subsequently located that same U-Haul truck at the storage facility in Brighton where the bodies were found.”

Investigators believe Volkov was using the truck to transport items from the victims’ Locust Street apartment to the storage facility.

Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley said there is no danger to the community.

Volkov faces one count of murder, but the DA said it’s likely more charges will follow.

He will be arraigned Tuesday in Somerville District Court.

This case is being investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Medford Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to call Massachusetts State Police at 781-897-6600 or the Medford Police Department at 781-391-6767.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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