Zoran Pandilovski: Husband pleads guilty to killing estranged wife and hiding body under family home
MILL PARK, MELBOURNE: A 47-year-old Melbourne man has finally pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife and hiding her body under the family home, after failing to prove his insanity. Zoran Pandilovski allegedly murdered Elaine Pandilovski, 44, by strangling her to death at her Mill Park home in July 2020. The young mother’s body was discovered by police on July 14, 2020, during a welfare check after the teacher's aide failed to show up for work.
Pandilovski was scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court of Victoria for a murder trial on Monday but he pleaded guilty just before the empanelment process began. He had deliberately postponed his guilty plea for years, hoping to avoid responsibility for his acts by claiming mental illness. In February of last year, a forensic psychiatrist certified Pandilovski as able to face trial, but he refused to accept his fate. During a hearing at that time, the court heard that Pandilovski had been evaluated by Dr Jacqueline Rakov, who stated that there was insufficient medical evidence to establish a mental disability argument. In a bid to escape the sentence, Pandilovski then sought a second evaluation from Dr Patrick Newton, who concurred with Dr Rakov's diagnosis, according to Daily Mail.
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How did authorities arrest Pandilovski?
Last week, Justice Christopher Beale noted that Pandilovski drove to Elaine’s home at 7.45 am on the day of her murder and choked her to death while she was alone in the house. He moved Elaine’s body into the basement to conceal the murder. Justice Beale said Pandilovski then fled the scene in his car and drove along Western Ring Road where he got involved in a fierce car accident, News.com.au reported. Detectives immediately arrested Pandilovski and charged him with two counts of reckless conduct endangering life over the alleged act, which has been withdrawn by prosecutors in part of a plea deal.
A teenage kid was among those injured in the horrific incident, from which Pandilovski seemed to have escaped mostly unscathed. While Pandilovski has pleaded guilty to the murder, Prosecutors have yet not provided an explanation for why he killed his former partner. In his first court appearance in 2020, his acting lawyer stated that he had been suffering from anxiety and depression, as well as diabetes. At that time it was also revealed that Elaine was a special needs school teacher who also cared for her autistic 10-year-old son.
How did Pandilovski and Elaine meet?
Elaine and her suspected murderer were high school sweethearts who had previously lived together for 15 years. They got married in 2002 and decided to get separated in late 2018. Elaine’s neighbors stated that after their divorce Pandilovski was living in the nearby suburb of Epping. Locals claimed Elaine was a dedicated mother who lived in the single-story house with their son. "My beautiful niece, words can't explain how we are feeling now. Your life was taken from us and we couldn't help... I love you always, life will never be the same, our hearts will never be the same, Rest In Peace my beautiful Angel," Elaine’s aunt said in a social media post according to Daily Mail. Pandilovski is now set to face a preliminary sentencing hearing in June 2023.