A prominent correspondent for Russia's NTV television channel, Ilya Zimin, was killed Sunday in Moscow, the channel's press secretary said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. "We confirm that he tragically died," Maria Bezborodova said. She said no details of Zimin's death were immediately available.
A police source said the journalist's body had been found in his Moscow apartment. "According to preliminary reports, the body showed no visible wounds," the official said. "We learnt about what happened just recently, and are now trying to find out all details. For this reason, further comments may be issued later," a TV channel spokesman told Interfax news agency.
The reporter had been assaulted earlier. In April 2005, Zimin was attacked by a group of people of "Caucasian appearance" outside his apartment building, who beat him and broke his leg. The assailants took his wallet, ID and cell phone.
The police was informed about the death at 7.55 pm, Itar-Tass reported. "Zimin did not come to the office and did not answer the phone, and worried colleagues visited his place on Korolyova Street. They found Zimin dead," the source said. "The colleagues said that things were scattered around the place and the floor was blood stained."
Speaking on Ekho Moskvy radio, another NTV reporter said he had come to Zimin's apartment after work and found him dead. "His apartment was a mess; there were signs of a struggle and it was spattered with blood; he was dead," Vadim Takmenev said.
The Moscow Prosecutor's Office said Ilya Zimin's killing was not related to his professional activities. "At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that the crime was linked to Zimin's professional activity," the Prosecutor's Office press service said.
NTV News Editor Tatyana Mitkova said she did not rule out the possibility that the murder was linked to Zimin's investigative work for the station, the news website Polit.ru reported. NTV journalist Vadim Takmenev said Zimin recently used hidden cameras to prepare an upcoming expose of health violations at expensive Moscow restaurants, Polit.ru reported.
Authorities have not identified a suspect, according to the Moscow daily Kommersant. A concierge at Zimin's apartment building initially reported that three men with police identifications visited the reporter at 10 a.m. Sunday and left an hour later, but authorities said they determined the three had visited another apartment in the building, according to Kommersant.
At least 12 journalists have been murdered in contract-style slayings since 2000. The cases remain unsolved.
Zimin was an award-winning journalist who worked as a correspondent for NTV's investigative programme "Profession: Reporter." Zimin was born in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and had worked as a local correspondent for state television GTRK and NTV before moving to Moscow in 2000.
