The husband of a British woman who was murdered in front of their 11-month-old baby during a gunpoint burglary has paid a moving tribute to her.
Widower Charalambos (Babis) Anagnostopoulos, 32, called his wife Caroline Crouch, 20, his “forever love” as he shared a photo of the beaming couple on a beach on their wedding day.
The helicopter pilot wrote in Greek: “Together forever. Have a nice trip my love.”
Ms Crouch was strangled to death in front of her unharmed daughter Lydia during a break-in at the family’s home in Glyka Nera, an affluent suburb of Athens, at about 5am last Tuesday.
The family’s dog was strangled to death with its own lead. Mr Anagnostopoulos was found tied up and gagged on the floor after he managed to use his mobile phone to call for help.
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(Image: Instagram)
Before his wife’s funeral last week, Mr Anagnostopoulos told a Mirror reporter: “She was an amazing person, full of life and full of love.
“Our lives will never be the same without her.
“Take care of your family, sir. Cherish your loved ones as much as you can.”
Police said a man from Georgia was arrested during a traffic stop in the region of Evros, and the hunt for additional suspects continues.
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The family was asleep when armed men burst into their home and bound and gagged Ms Crouch and her husband.
As the burglars demanded money and jewellery, Mr Anagnostopoulos told them where to find £10,000 hidden in a Monopoly box, he said.
He told reporters the couple had such a large sum of cash in their home because they had recently bought a plot of land and they needed money on hand to pay builders.
(Image: Babis Anagnostopoulos/Instagram)
(Image: ᴄᴀʀᴏʟɪɴᴇ ᴄʀᴏᴜᴄʜ/Instagram)
Greek media reports said he temporary lost consciousness as the home was ransacked.
A police source told Mega TV: “We suspect that three members of the gang went into the house and one member waited outside as a look-out.
“We believe that the killer felt compelled to murder Caroline because she had seen his face and would identify him to the police.
(Image: Athena Pictures)
“But they spared husband Babis because they thought he was unconscious and unable to see.”
Police have been taking a look at other burglaries and a long list of potential suspects in their investigation into Ms Crouch’s murder.
In a televised interview the day after the murder, Mr Anagnostopoulos said he “begged” the intruders not to harm his family.
He said: “I wish no-one ever goes through what we went through last night. It was a nightmare.
“We begged the thieves not to harm us. We told them where the money was and asked them to leave us alone. The police will catch them.”
The next day, he told reporters he had no idea his wife was dead until police arrived and removed the tape from his eyes.
The burglars escaped with cash and jewellery, while Mr Anagnostopoulos called police after managing to loosen his bonds.
The first officer on scene told how he walked into the home and found the baby girl trying to wake her dead mother.
A £260,000 reward for information has been announced by the Greek Government.
