More on Scurko . . .

Here is an edited translation of a story that is at www.hokejportal.sk.
Because of the seriousness of this matter, I have followed the first rule of journalist -- when in doubt, leave out . . .

HC Kosice hockey player Ladislav Šcurko on Thursday was arrested and brought for questioning to the Regional Directorate of the Police Force in Prešov on suspicion of murdering Popradské hockey referee Marek Liptaj.

Scurko is reported to have confessed to the murder during questioning.

Karol Korpas, the deputy director of the police force, confirmed at a Friday press conference that the murder took place at a rest stop on “on State Highway 1 / 68 in the direction of Košice to Prešov Ťahanovce.”

Scurko is in custody and awaiting a court appearance. If guilty, he is looking at 15 to 20 years in prison.

Juraj Bakos, the vice-president and general manager of HC Kosice, has refused to comment. "The whole thing is in the hands of the police and we do not comment," he said in a statement.

Scurko, who played two seasons with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and part of another with the Tri-City Americans, spent this season with HC Kosice, which won the Slovakian championship.

Scurko is well known in Slovakia, having twice played in the world championship and also in a couple of world junior championships.

The police investigation continues so they are reluctant to provide more details.

According to Rudolf Pilarcika, the deputy director of the police in Kosice, the case is unrelated to Scurko’s hockey career. Pilarcika said the motive appears to have been money. Liptaj is believed to have owed Scurka money; however, the details of how that came about aren’t known or, at least, haven‘t been released by the police.

The murder is believed to have occurred on a night in January 2008. According to investigators, Scurko stabbed the victim at least 14 times in the thorax and spine. The body was loaded into a car and taken into the forest in the district of Huncovce Kezmarok, where it was placed into a shallow grave. The remains were discovered accidentally in December 2008. The corpse was identified using DNA.

Two phone cards were found with the body. Police also have seized Scurko’s car and it, too, has become part of the investigation.

Pilarčíka said he is inclined to believe that Scurko over-reacted and that this probably wasn’t a planned murder.
---
There is video right here, involving a brief look at the site where the body was found.
---------
THE MacBETH REPORT: F Andy Schneider (Seattle/Swift Current) and F Jeff Shantz (Regina) signed one-year contract extensions with Klagenfurt (Austria Erste Bank
Liga). Schneider had 25 goals and 61 assists in 71 games and Shantz had 19 goals and 33 assists in 66 games this season.