Greek police believe Caroline Crouch’s pilot husband may have been involved in drug smuggling to support his extravagant lifestyle. So far, investigations suggest Charalambos Anagnostopoulos was likely working with drug cartels.
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Suspicions over his sources of income grew when initial investigations revealed a rather lavish lifestyle, which could not have been sustained by his pilot’s salary.
It emerged that the couple had recently bought a piece of land worth £47,000, and had designed a £140,000 home. They also took an expensive trip to Dubai.
There are fears that Anagnostopoulos, 33, may have killed his 20-year-old wife after she discovered this about him.
Crouch was suffocated to death with a pillow in front of her 11-month-old daughter in the early hours of May 11.
Caroline's father David Crouch has said earlier he believed there was some truth in the rumours about his son-in-law’s involvement in drug smuggling.
How personal data helped crack the case
Anagnostopoulos initially told police his wife was killed by gang men who broke into their home in northeastern Athens.
He also said they tied him up and killed the family dog before stealing money and other valuables.
But evidence from smartphones and smartwatches of both the deceased and the accused exposed many cracks in his story, which eventually led him to confess.
Caroline Crouch’s biometric watch revealed her pulse readings at the time her husband claimed she had already been murdered.
The activity tracker on Anagnostopoulos's own phone showed him moving around the house, contrary to his earlier account of being tied up during the alleged break in.
Police also retrieved data cards from the home security camera revealing that he had disabled the device hours before smouldering his young wife to death.
Predatory relationship
The case left Greeks horrified, in a country where violent crimes such as this are rare.
Another revelation that left many in shock is the fact Anagnostopoulos began a relationship with Crouch when he was 28 and she was 15.
This has raised questions about whether or not authorities ignored a clear case of child abuse that eventually resulted in the death of a young woman.
