Female McDonald’s worker is found guilty of bashing a lonely widower to death with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tin of mangoes
- Former McDonald's worker found guilty of bludgeoning lonely widower to death
- Elia Abdelmessih discovered face down in a bowl of water in Melbourne in 2005
- The 69-year-old found murdered, next to a bloodied statue of the Virgin Mary
- Katiya Pyliotis was connected to the murder after giving DNA for a minor crime
A former McDonald's worker has been found guilty of killing a lonely Melbourne widower by beating him to death with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tin of mangoes.
Katia Pyliotis was found guilty for the 2005 murder of Elia Abdelmessih (pictured), who was found in his East Kew home with his face submerged in a bowl of bloodied liquid
Katia Pyliotis was found guilty for the 2005 murder of Elia Abdelmessih, who was found in his East Kew home with his face submerged in a bowl of bloodied liquid and the bottom half of his body mostly undressed.
At the time, Pyliotis was 23-years-old and worked at Kew McDonald's, where Mr Abdelmessih would dine sometimes several times a day since the passing of his wife.
On September 18 that year, Pyliotis went to Mr Abdelmessih's house and bludgeoned the retiree to death before leaving his face submerged in a bowl of bloodied liquid.
However, before she left the scene, Pyliotis left deposits of her own blood and DNA on a number of items in the house including at least one of the murder weapons.
The court was told the can of mangoes was dented and the statue had a piece broken off - with blood stains on both.
The murder remained a mystery until 2016 when Pyliotis was living in South Australia and provided police with a saliva swab after she was caught driving an unregistered car.
Share this article
Her DNA was matched with DNA at the crime scene, and she was extradited back to Victoria.
Her blood was found at several locations inside the victim's home and inside an insulated left glove that had a tear inside it.
Prosecutors were unable to provide a clear motive for the murder.
The court was previously told that Mr Abdelmessih was in poor spirits after the death of his wife and lived a lonely life, paying a woman with an acquired brain injury $20 for sexual services.
Her blood was found at several locations inside the victim's home and inside an insulated left glove that had a tear inside it (pictured)
He became a well-known identity around Kew Junction and was known to behave inappropriately towards women.
Sue Reddie was investigated by police in 2005 after she claimed she was involved in Mr Abdelmessih's murder.
However, the case against her was dropped due a lack of evidence and the absence of her DNA at the crime scene.
Ms Reddie died of natural causes in 2012.
A former McDonald's worker has been found guilty of killing a lonely Melbourne widower by beating him to death with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tin of mangoes (stock image)
A Supreme Court of Victoria jury returned a guilty verdict on Monday afternoon after deliberating for four days.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Tinney said Pyliotis at first denied knowing the murder victim, but later said she remembered the 'old man' who 'was just a bit lonely', for his visits to McDonald's and his 'big blue beasty car'.
While in custody, Pyliotis was recorded during phone calls with her mother and sister, claiming 'even if I did do it, I can't remember', 'I should have reported the death when I found him' and 'when I found him, he was well and truly gone'.
Pyliotis will return to court on February 28 next year for a plea hearing ahead of sentencing.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
