The disappearance
Miroslava Nikolova vanished in Pernik after leaving sports practice near the Druzhba sports hall on November 7, 2011. Her disappearance prompted a search that continued for more than two months.
Investigators later concluded that the abduction was connected to a ransom plan. Established Bulgarian reporting states that the intended demand was €250,000. This dossier presents that as the prosecution and court-established motive in Lubenov's case, not as a separate offense committed by unidentified people.
Discovery of Miroslava
On January 12, 2012, Miroslava's body was found in a wooded area above the village of Planinitsa. The discovery followed information given to police by Stoycho Stoev, who identified the burial location and described a joint kidnapping plan involving Mario Lubenov.
Stoev died from a gunshot wound during a police search at his home. Authorities reported his death as suicide. Because he did not survive to face trial, this page does not call him a convicted murderer and does not treat disputed questions about the police operation as judicially resolved.
Lubenov's trial
Mario Lubenov initially denied involvement. During the 2013 proceedings, he admitted the relevant facts and chose the shortened trial procedure. The Pernik District Court found him guilty of abducting and intentionally killing Miroslava in order to conceal the kidnapping.
On June 12, 2013, the first-instance court imposed 25 years in prison. The kidnapping count carried a separate term, but the court applied the larger aggregate sentence. The first-instance ruling was appealable and therefore was not the end of the case.
Appeal and final sentence
The Sofia Court of Appeal increased Lubenov's punishment from 25 to 28 years. He appealed to the Supreme Court of Cassation, arguing that the increased term was excessive in light of the shortened procedure.
On July 2, 2014, Bulgarian reporting confirmed that the Supreme Court upheld the appellate judgment. That decision was final and left the 28-year prison term in place. The archive therefore uses 28 years as the current sentence rather than repeating the earlier 25-year term as though it remained final.
Current status and remaining questions
Lubenov's criminal responsibility and punishment are finally adjudicated. Questions surrounding Stoev's death during the police operation and public criticism of how that operation was conducted are separate from the final conviction and should not be used to imply a second conviction that never occurred.
The case is presented around Miroslava's disappearance, the search and the court record. Unnecessary graphic details are omitted, and procedural stages are kept distinct so that the initial judgment, appellate increase and final Supreme Court decision are not confused.