Suspect in Death of Spy Trial Witness to Be Freed
A man arrested in connection with the death of a witness in the spy trial of former FBI Agent Richard W. Miller was scheduled Friday to be released from jail after prosecutors declined to file charges.
Vladimir Rikhine, 44, had been booked for investigation of homicide Tuesday in the death of Ludmila Kondratjeve. The body of the 38-year-old Soviet immigrant was discovered Saturday in the back seat of her car, which apparently rolled off the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
Rikhine was the victim’s boyfriend, and investigators said they suspected the death was a murder motivated by “a domestic quarrel” and not related to the woman’s testimony in the espionage trial.
Rikhine was to be set free from Los Angeles County Jail late Friday, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said. Earlier, homicide investigators met with representatives of the district attorney’s office and it was decided to refrain from filing charges at this time.
Sheriff’s officials said the investigation will continue.
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