Vicksburg woman mourns daughter murdered in Russia

Last updated: June 22, 2021

Beccy Serou says the last time she heard from her daughter, a law student attending Lobachevsky University in Russia, was in a text message saying, “In a car with a stranger.  I hope I’m not being abducted.”

That message came on Tuesday, as Beccy’s 34-year-old daughter Catherine was rushing to an appointment, she told NPR.  On Saturday, Russian authorities announced that Catherine’s body had been found in a wooded area east of Moscow.

Investigators have arrested a man in his early 40s with a record of convictions, and on Monday the suspect was arraigned in a Russian court. Facing a murder charge, he could spend up to life in prison if he is convicted.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is also involved, monitoring the investigation and assisting the Serou family.

Catherine had been living in Russia since 2019 and was studying to become an immigration lawyer.