Alex murder suspects called

Two of the five schoolboys charged with killing their 11-year-old classmate Alex Meshivili in February last year appeared yesterday before an investigating magistrate who gave them until March 20 to prepare their defense. The other three boys charged in connection with the disappearance of Alex from his hometown in Veria, northern Greece, are expected to be summoned to testify before the same Thessaloniki magistrate over the next few days. The parents of the five children are also being summoned to testify. The testimonies of the five children and their parents are expected to conclude the final stage of an investigation that began last September. The prosecutor working on this case will use these depositions to decide whether or not the suspects should face murder charges. A police search for Alex’s body has been fruitless.