Over twenty years after the mysterious disappearance of 20-year-old Briton Steven Cook, who vanished on the first night of his vacation in Malia, Greek justice is set to put a 38-year-old Briton on trial for his murder on October 21. Cook’s body was discovered by chance in a well in 2017.

The 38-year-old will face trial at the Heraklion Mixed Jury Court, an unexpected development in the UK that surprised everyone from Cook’s family to the police officers who had handled the long-running investigation.

However, the accused claims he was not in Crete at the time of Cook’s disappearance and alleges a deliberate accusation against him.

This legal development gives the case a new turn, as it nears the statute of limitations due to its 20-year span, allowing further investigation under procedural law.

The Ex-Wife’s Email That Led Authorities to the 38-Year-Old

The investigation began when the accused’s ex-wife, with whom he is in a bitter custody dispute, sent an email to the authorities.

She claims that during their relationship, while he was under the influence of drugs, he made certain revelations, one of which she believes concerned the 2005 disappearance of Steven Cook in Malia.

He allegedly told her that he was in Malia in 2005, working at a bar and acting as a promoter for a tourist boat. In 2017, while she was preparing dinner, he returned home under the influence of drugs and admitted there had been a fight with a boy—believed to be Steven Cook—although she was unsure if he was involved directly or witnessed it.

According to her account, the boy was drunk, received a punch to the side of his head, and died in his arms. She describes that the 38-year-old “broke down in tears, saying the body was in a well.”

On February 17, 2017, the British media first reported the discovery of Steven Cook’s body in the Malia well. That day, the ex-wife recalls, he “threatened suicide and was assessed by a psychiatric nurse in the presence of the police.”

The witness also refers to handwritten diary notes and a silver bracelet with two beads, allegedly belonging to the boy from Malia, which will be examined by authorities. The diary will likely require a forensic handwriting expert, while the bracelet has not been officially identified by Cook’s family.

Prosecutor Considers Ex-Wife a Credible Witness

The prosecutor who recommended the trial ruled that “even if the witness is in a dispute with her ex-husband, that does not make her unreliable. Former spouses sometimes reveal secrets shared in the past, and it is not unusual for someone under the influence of drugs to make shocking revelations about their life.”

She disclosed her knowledge for the first time in July 2024, although the relationship ended in 2019, when she evicted him from the house.

The prosecutor notes it is “unlikely the woman fabricated a fictional scenario involving her ex-husband in an old murder case already pending in Greece since 2006, which had been archived under unknown perpetrators, just to use it in their custody dispute.”

Her determination to report what she knew to both British and Greek authorities demonstrates her resolve to reveal the truth, which she had concealed, apparently out of fear that the accused might prevent her from seeing her children.

Many find it hard to believe that the case has reached trial based almost entirely on the ex-wife’s testimony. The focus now turns to whether the 38-year-old will stand trial, as he denies all allegations, including being in Crete at the time.

For Steven Cook’s family, the priority is finding additional evidence or witnesses to shed light on this long-standing, murky case. This may involve hiring a private detective or seeking media assistance.