A Bulgarian teenager admitted Friday that he attacked television journalist Victoria Marinova, whose death sparked worldwide condemnation for reasons including the possibility of being politically motivated.
The court charged the rape and murder of Severin Krasimirov, 21, in the case of Marinova, and issued a decision on Friday to continue his remand.
Bulgarian radio said he spoke to reporters while being transferred to a court in a Russian city on the Danube.
"I do not know what happened, I can not remember everything, I went there and slapped it and I fell, I wanted to leave but it attracted me strongly," Krasimirov told reporters in court.
When the journalists asked him if he intended to confess his crime to the court, he replied with a trembling voice: "Yes, I am guilty, I deeply regret it, I can not believe I did it."
A prosecutor told Reuters the court did not ask the defendant to file a petition at the hearing. If convicted, Krasimirov may face a life sentence without allowing his release.
Investigators said DNA samples found on the body of the victim matched Krasimirov's DNA, while Interior Minister Mladen Marinov said they had collected other evidence against him.
