A routine trip interrupted on the motorway
Strazdauskaitė left her parents' home in Plungė on 5 March 2017, driving toward Vilnius. She did not arrive. Her sudden loss of contact triggered an intensive search involving Lithuanian police and prosecutors.
The later prosecution found that the offenders had selected her because of the Audi A7 she was driving. They staged a traffic collision on the A1 motorway, forced the journey to stop, deprived her of liberty and took her and the vehicle toward Kėdainiai District.
Search teams found the victim and arrested suspects
After several days of searching, investigators found Strazdauskaitė's body buried in Kėdainiai District. Six people were initially detained, with the developing inquiry separating alleged murder participants from people suspected of robbery or associated offences.
The case also led investigators to a similar 2016 robbery targeting Latvian citizens. That earlier episode helped authorities explain the road-collision method without merging its victims or charges into the murder count.
The case was built around an organized robbery plan
In May 2018, the Prosecutor General's Office sent the case to the Kaunas Regional Court. Prosecutors alleged that members of an organized group damaged property, unlawfully deprived the victim of liberty, robbed valuable property and killed her to conceal the other crimes.
The court record treated individual responsibility separately. Leonas, Karolis and Mantas Bieliauskas were ultimately convicted of the murder and related offences. Other defendants received sentences for roles connected to the robberies or unlawful weapons possession; they are not described here as murderers where the final judgment did not establish that status.
Three murder convictions, then tougher appellate sentences
On 3 April 2020, the Kaunas Regional Court sentenced Leonas Bieliauskas to life imprisonment, Karolis Bieliauskas to 17 years and Mantas Bieliauskas to 16 years. The prosecution and the victim's representatives appealed parts of the judgment.
On 4 December 2020, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal increased Karolis Bieliauskas's sentence to life and Mantas Bieliauskas's term to 19 years. Leonas Bieliauskas's life sentence remained in place. The appellate court also adjusted sentences for defendants convicted of related offences and increased civil compensation for the victim's family.
The Supreme Court left the appellate judgment unchanged
On 1 July 2021, Lithuania's Supreme Court rejected the cassation appeals filed by Karolis Bieliauskas, Mantas Bieliauskas and Algimantas Stankevičius. It found that the appellate court had applied the criminal law correctly and had properly assessed the organized nature of the offences and the defendants' individual roles.
The final classification is therefore solved and adjudicated: three men were convicted of Strazdauskaitė's murder, two are serving life terms and one received 19 years. The archive does not extend those convictions to ancillary defendants whose final liability concerned different offences.
Timeline
- 5 March 2017 — Strazdauskaitė leaves Plungė for Vilnius and disappears during the drive.
- March 2017 — Her body is found in Kėdainiai District; suspects are detained.
- 9 June 2017 — Prosecutors publicly outline the robbery motive and reject rumors about the victim.
- 25 May 2018 — The indictment is sent to the Kaunas Regional Court.
- 3 April 2020 — Three defendants are convicted of murder; one life term and two fixed terms are imposed.
- 4 December 2020 — The appellate court increases the sentences to two life terms and 19 years.
- 1 July 2021 — The Supreme Court rejects the cassation appeals before it and leaves the appellate judgment unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Ieva Strazdauskaitė targeted?
Prosecutors and courts found that the organized group selected her Audi A7 for robbery; there was no evidence that she knew the offenders or had links to criminal activity.
When did she disappear?
She left her parents' home in Plungė for Vilnius on 5 March 2017 and disappeared during the journey.
Who was convicted of her murder?
Leonas, Karolis and Mantas Bieliauskas were convicted of the murder and related offences.
What sentences became final?
Leonas and Karolis Bieliauskas received life imprisonment; Mantas Bieliauskas received a 19-year term. The Supreme Court rejected the cassation appeals before it in July 2021.
Is the case solved?
Yes. Criminal responsibility for the murder was adjudicated through Lithuania's Supreme Court, while related defendants received separate sentences for associated offences.