A man aged 35 from Hancesti town was sentenced to 18 years in jail for shooting a friend and setting the body on fire in the spring of 2012.

Prosecutors established that the man knew that his friend intended to go abroad to purchase a car. As he guessed that his friend had money on him, he killed him and then set fire to him.

The culprit asked a person from abroad to send an SMS to the victim’s mother in the name of her son and inform her that he arrived in Italy. Several weeks later, the carbonized body of the victim was found by a local near Loganesti village.

Contacted by IPN, prosecutor Grigore Clevada from Hancesti said the offender was identified after the person who sent the SMS was questioned.

The victim was 30. He wasn’t married and didn’t have children. The convict has a minor child.