The Russian authorities have concluded their investigation into the murder of a beauty pageant winner from the country’s Far Eastern Republic of Buryatia, Mediazona reports. State investigators allege that 30-year-old Seseg Buinova, also known as “Miss Buryatia,” was killed by a former police officer who had returned to the region after an unsuccessful attempt to emigrate to the U.S. and who later took his own life.

The ex-officer has been posthumously charged with three counts of murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, death threats, and arson. The Buryatia branch of the Investigative Committee held a press conference to present the results of the investigation.

According to officials, the suspect resigned from the police force in 2021. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he sold his property and moved with his family to the U.S., reportedly fearing mobilization.

The regional news outlet Baikal Daily reported that the man struggled to adapt to life in the U.S. and faced difficulties obtaining refugee status, in addition to financial troubles. Eventually, he returned to Ulan-Ude, where he exhibited mental health issues: investigators now believe he may have suffered from dissociative identity disorder and paranoia.

According to the investigation, on April 11, 2024, the former police officer spotted Buinova sitting in a car with her acquaintance, Stanislav Narboev. He proceeded to enter their vehicle, threaten them with a pistol, and force them to drive to a deserted area.

There, he ordered Buinova and Narboev out of the car and shot them both, taking their phones, jewelry, and other personal belongings. He later abandoned the stolen vehicle in a residential courtyard.

Buryatia and the war

• ‘Our guys’ In Russia’s Buryatia, high military death rates make the war impossible to ignore. A new report reveals how it’s become normalized.

In the early hours of April 13, the suspect borrowed a car from an acquaintance, identified only as Plusin, under false pretenses. He used it to transport the victims’ bodies to an abandoned garage on the outskirts of Ulan-Ude, dumped them into a vehicle inspection pit, and covered them with debris. The remains were not discovered until March of this year.

Soon after Buinova’s disappearance, reports began circulating in local media. Fearing that Plusin might suspect him of involvement, the ex-officer allegedly decided to kill him as well.

According to investigators, on the night of April 20, the man drove to Plusin’s home in the village of Sotnikovo, shot him dead, and then set fire to the garage next to the house using an accelerant. The burned garage contained the same car used to transport the victims’ bodies.

At the time, two of Plusin’s friends happened to be in the house. The former officer reportedly threatened to kill them, but they managed to escape while he was distracted. Investigators say the man then attempted suicide; he was found wounded near the burning house and later died in the hospital.

Buinova’s murder came shortly after her victory in the Miss Buryatia 2024 pageant. Narboev, who was with her that night, had met her recently at a nightclub. According to media reports, Buinova also worked part-time as a taxi driver.