His father Christos Drivas asked Angeliki’s Nikolouli help and crossed the Atlantic and came to “Tunnel” on Friday, March 16th. His struggle for years to reveal the truth of his child has moved the viewers.
The law student Stavros Drivas, 20-year-oldwho was living with his family in Astoria, was reported to have been the victim of robbery and wild bullying by the “tough” group of Greeks who considered as his friends …
The scenery of horror took place on the tourist Virginia beach , where they went for a short trip in June 2004.
Stavros, who suffered from asthma, had hydrophobia and did not know how to swim, was found drowned, and none of his friends told the truth.
Their contradictions, the fact that they disappeared immediately after the incident, the victim’s money which were never found , and the incomplete investigation of the Virginia Authorities, are thickening the mystery.
The adventure that began at Virginia Beach was extended to New York and continued in Greece where some “tough” friends of the group asked for shelter. The father of the unfortunate young man has been tortured for fourteen years to re-open the file of this case, reveal the crime and punish the guilty. One of the group spoke to “Tunnel” insisting on the version of the accident.
Tunnel’s research in the US
The research of the show in New York and Virginia revealed that the student met for the first time friends of his cousin at the beach hotel in Virginia.
As everything indicate based on their behavior, that fateful night Stavros was annoyed and wanted to return to New York but they prevented him. They hid his keys on the beach and dragged him into the sea. Beyond that, nobody knows what really happened. Some argued that the unlucky student panicked in the water and drowned. However, the forensic findings show that he was held by force at the bottom.
The differences in forensic reports
Surprise brought to the experts found in the show’s studio the schetch handed over to the father of the victim by the American Coroner instead of a full report.
Drivas family had addressed the late Professor of Forensic Medicine at the University of Crete, Manolis Michalodimitrakis. When he examined the document, he concluded that the death of the victim was caused by drowning, but the bruises found on his body need further investigation.
The head of the Forensic Service, of Piraeus Elias Boyokas, who was found in Tunnel’s studio, when he saw the sketch, said:
“This paper with notes, is not considered as a report. However, although it is incomplete, we can see some important points. The bruises were caused while the victim was alive and was forced into some kind of sedation. Another important point is that the young person was hydrophobic. How did he go swimming alone, even taking others him him? The toxicology test showed that he had not drunk alcohol, but it is deficient and it does not show if he had medication . Certainly there are data which need to be investigated. “
What former Director of the FBI told “Tunnel”
Former FBI Director of the New York State, George Venizelos, spoke to Tunnel and gave his own assessments about the case.
“If there is a conflict in two different forensic reports, it needs to be clarified which is right and which is wrong. It is something to be pursued. If it is a murder, the killer must go to the judge and be punished, “he said.
He also stressed that the father is entitled to answers and if he feels he does not, he has to look for them.
“When we have a death like this, we need to look everything” he said.
He explained that the FBI usually does not deal with such cases.
“The only way that could be involved is if it is needed and of course asked for assistance or if there are issues with the people conducting the investigation. What I can tell you is that in the area of Virginia Beach, the state’s relations with the FBI are very good, “he concluded.
Live connection with New York
Aggeliki Nikolouli, in a live connection with New Greek TV and the journalist Christodoulos Athanasatos, revealed to the Greeks in USA the new data and experts’ estimates. Apart from the experienced former FBI director, General Attorney was also informed about the case in order to help the father find the truth for his son.
“Legislation in America differs from state to state and this often creates problems and confusion. But it is a system that recognizes its mistakes and assigns responsibilities where appropriate, “the New York reporter said.
The wild group of the Greeks, the bullying and the tragedy …
The father and his close friend, who went to Virginia after the incident spoke to Tunnel’s camera about the tragedy.
“It was Saturday morning and I was preparing my boat. Stavros’ uncle came apparently upset. He told me “we lost him, he went with his cousin to Virginia for a swim and we lost him … He was drowned and we have not found him yet”. I was impressed because I had never seen him swimming. I had never heard that he went to the sea with friends to swim because he did not like it. Is it possible for this child who feared the water to go to midnight in an open wild sea for swimming? “he said.
The second husband of Christos Drivas, Claudia spoke to Tunnel.
“I feel very sad for what happened to the child. All these years I see my husband trying to find justice. It is strange what happened and how they tried to close this case. With Stavros we used to go to a camp with a lake. He always feared water. ”
“They held him under the water and he was drowned …”
As soon as the family was informed of the child’s misfortune, the father and his close friend went to Virginia.
“Stavros’ father, from the very first moment, had his suspicions that something was wrong. He knew his son wanted to buy a car and had a substantial amount of money with him. When we arrived, he began to ask his friends, about what had happened. Everyone was telling him a different version. These testimonies changed completely when friends found each other and apparently agreed for what they would say. Then Christos suspected something bad had happened, “Christos Alexatos told Tunnel.
The tragic father went to the police, and told them about these contradictions, pointing out that they had to investigate it further. As soon as this happened, his nephew who was with his son was in the local hospital, because in a way that has not been clarified until today, he also close to get drowned .
“The nephew did not want to talk about anything, he wanted to forget that night. In the father’s desperate attempt to know what happened, he did not give any answer, “said Alexatos.
USA: Member of the “wild group” breaks his silence …
One of the protagonists of this dark story spoke to “Tunnel”.
He claimed that the fateful weekend, Stavros, suggested that they should swim at dawn and see the sunrise.
“We went to the water swim a little.. After a quarter I heard one of my friends that he was going back to the hotel. Then I heard cries for help and I realized it was Stavros. I went to help him and I saw him out of control. I was trying to help him. He was panicked , he pushed my back with his feet to get up. I told him to catch me, to swim to get out. But the water pushed me in and we could not get to the shore. I saw his cousin and I felt I had no other strength and left Stavrow with him, “he said.
Then, with all his strength, he tried to get off to the shore but listened to Stavros calling for help.
When he came out he was about two blocks away. He entered the first hotel he found in front of him to call the police. Then he walked at the hotel where they were staying and explained to them what had happened.
“At that time we believed that Stavros would come out without a problem and that his cousin would not do it because he was heavier.
Then they called the rescuers, called divers, the helicopter that could not fly, the divers could not enter the water because of the strong waves. After about half an hour forty minutes they found his cousin, they took him out of the water, he was near the shore, and they went to the hospital.
We went back to New York. Shortly afterwards Virginia Police called us because they found Stavros drowned and they were questioning us, “he said. With him the police officers spoke only on the phone.
US: Hard Greeks were manipulating others during the investigation …
According to the close friend of the family, two people from Stavros’ group seemed as if they were the leaders of the group who were manipulating the rest of what they would say.
” Girls who were with them did not know what to say about the incident. It was constantly inconsistent. Christos never threatened anyone. What he wanted was answers his reasonable questions. Most Kids were frightened “he said.
As he said Virginia did not handled the case of Stavros as the should.
“They hid the case under the carpet because, as we were told, it was bad advertising for their area. They did not want to help the situation at all. They left the man at the mercy of God, gave him his dead child, and they did not say nothing to him… ”
After so many years, the authorities in Virginia have refused to hand over to Christos Drivas even the photos of his dead child. In order to gain access to the file, he hired two lawyers to carry out the necessary procedures.
USA: They were three holding him under the water until he drowned …
The lawyer, Flavio Van Bocco, from New Jersey, who has been in charge of Mr Driva’s case, has spoken in the show’s camera in recent months.
As the case has said, it has been thoroughly studied while the findings of a private investigator who has examined the evidence so far have led them to conclude that this story is more than death due to an accident.
“The deceased was from New Jersey, many of the suspects are from New York and there was no will from the Virginia authorities to solve the case, so I believe it was closed so quickly. Also, the medical report has at least one contradiction. It was reported that bruises were not found in the corpse. The autopsy performed in the corpse showed two scars, two bruises, similar to bruises resulting from life injuries, “he said.
In a related question by the reporter about the excuses that the police have put forward to Mr Drava so that he does not reopen the case, he replied:
“The police rightly said I think from a legal point of view that it would only surrender if it belonged to the FIOA. They gave an explanation under the Code that the case was still under investigation while the case was actually closed. They also rightly said that only one resident in the region could apply to FIOA or members of a TV show like your own group. I personally would like to see the case reopen. Responsibilities should be assigned to someone, I believe that the suspects still escape, must be persecuted, investigated more. ”
Mr Bocol then showed a scotch which shows the involvement of more than two people at the time of the death of Stavros Drivas in the sea.
“We’ve researched a lot to come up with this. Someone was holding his left leg. Our appreciation is that there was one more person in the event. No research has been done to determine how the bruises created while he was alive. Our sketch shows it. It is a theory based on the data we collected from our own research, “he concluded.
US: Find those who disappeared after the incident …
Lawyer Konstantin Spanoulis from Virginia, who represents the father, Christos Drivas, spoke to “Tunnel”.
As he said
that in Virginia beach, which is a tourist attraction, many accidents happen often. In order to collect valuable data to continue the investigation, Mr. Drivas should address the FIOA.
“Through FIOA father may find something more than the doctor’s version that ruled that his son was drowned. He may ask another expert to see if he agrees with the first estimate. To find out who did and be punished, there should be findings. There could be a preliminary examination in a lower court but there is no punishment for someone, they do not make guilty decisions. But if they think there is something serious about the case, they send it to the regional Court of Appeals, where the trial will take place, “he concluded.
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