In a chilling incident, Mikhail Zubarev, a Russian Orthodox priest from Tatarstan, has been detained under suspicion of murdering his wife.
The former cleric of the Kazan Church in Nizhnekamsk was immediately banned from the clergy as the investigation by the Diocese of Kazan's press service unfolds. The church has noted peculiarities in Zubarev's behavior in recent months, raising questions about his mental health.
The gruesome details, as reported by the Kremlin-aligned Russian online newspaper Mash according to Newsweek, reveal that Zubarev allegedly stabbed his wife before dismembering her body, with her head later being discovered by their children in the freezer.
Jealousy is being considered a motive, according to Mash.
The Diocese of Kazan has remarked on Zubarev's disdain for the Holy Gifts and his irreverent attitude towards service, parishioners, and fellow clergy.
His past is marred by undisclosed mental health issues, which he concealed when moving from the Murmansk region to Tatarstan in 2014. The diocese only became aware of his history through investigative authorities after the crime.
As the community reels from the shock, the Diocese of Kazan has extended condolences to the family of the deceased, and law enforcement continues to investigate the harrowing event.
