Gilbert, AZ: A woman in Gilbert, Arizona, was arrested for second-degree murder after allegedly killing her husband and hiding his body in their home. Authorities discovered the body of 49-year-old Stefan Kolev during a welfare check on November 22. The investigation revealed gunshot injuries and a stab wound to the groin, with the body wrapped in plastic and concealed beneath a bed.
Police arrived at the scene on Aspen Way, following calls for a welfare inspection made on November 22 in the vicinity of Guadalupe and Recker roads. Evidence of attempted clean-up was found, including bloodstains and bullet marks on the bedroom door.
The suspect, 51-year-old Ivanka Koleva, was identified through heavily redacted court papers. According to the documents, Koleva had reached out to a family friend a few days before the incident, claiming her husband had left and she needed assistance caring for her two children. However, video surveillance contradicted this claim, showing Kolev alive only hours before her contact.
Allegedly, Koleva had booked several hotel rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tempe and instructed her children not to return home without a police escort. On November 20, she was hospitalized due to an accident and made suicidal statements. Later that night, she was reported missing and described as “erratic” and engaging in “senseless” behavior.
During the investigation, a firearm purchased earlier that month from a Tempe gun store was found in Koleva’s impounded car. She was taken into custody at a Chandler hospital on Monday and charged with second-degree murder. Koleva’s bail has been set at $1 million.
The motive behind the crime is still unclear as investigators continue to gather evidence. The community of Gilbert is left in shock by this disturbing incident that unfolded in their otherwise quiet neighborhood.