Woman guilty of killing man with Virgin Mary statue, mango tin

A woman has been found guilty of murdering a lonely widower with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tin of mangoes in Melbourne more than 13 years ago.

Katia Pyliotis murdered 69-year-old Elia Abdelmessih in 2005 when she worked at Kew McDonald's, where the victim would dine sometimes several times a day after his wife died a year earlier.

On September 18 that year, a then-23-year-old Pyliotis, went to Mr Abdelmessih's house and bludgeoned the retiree to death before leaving his face submerged in a bowl of bloodied liquid.

However, before she left the scene, Pyliotis left deposits of her own blood and DNA on a number of items in the house including at least one of the murder weapons.

The murder remained a mystery until 2016 when Pyliotis was living in South Australia and provided police with a saliva swab over a minor matter.

Her DNA was matched with DNA at the crime scene, and she was extradited back to Victoria.

Prosecutors were unable to provide a clear motive for the murder.

The court was previously told that Mr Abdelmessih was in poor spirits after the death of his wife and lived a lonely life, paying a woman with an acquired brain injury $20 for sexual services.

He became notorious around Kew Junction, and was known to behave inappropriately towards women.

A Supreme Court of Victoria jury returned a guilty verdict this afternoon after deliberating for four days.

Pyliotis will return to court on February 28 next year for a plea hearing ahead of sentencing.

With AAP

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