Russian man arraigned on murder charge in killing of ex-US Marine Catherine Serou

An ex-convict with a history of violent sex crimes has appeared in a Russian court on charges he murdered former US Marine Catherine Serou, who had texted her mom, “I hope I’m not being abducted.”

Alexander Popov, 43, was filmed wearing a camouflage T-shirt and nervously fiddling with his hands in the courtroom dock late Saturday after the missing American law student’s body was found earlier that day in a wooded area. He was arraigned on a murder charge after allegedly confessing to raping and then stabbing Serou, a 34-year-old veteran, and leaving her for dead, according to the East2West news agency.