Sofia, 4 March 1997 (RFE/RL) - Bulgarian police have arrested the 18-year-old son of one of the country's richest men in connection with the murder of his father, mother and younger brother.
The killings were featured in Sofia newspapers this morning.
The father, Nikolay Kanchev, was involved in arms sales and the metals business.
Early press speculation focused on the motive for the murders, but interim Interior Minister Bogomil Bonev said the murders had nothing to do with the father's business. Bonev said the murder was of a "family character."
The Sofia prosecutor's office tells RFE/RL that the son, Dimiter Kanchev, had heavy debts that his rich father refused to pay. If proven guilty, the younger Kanchev -- because of his age -- could face life in prison rather than the death penalty for the triple homocide.