Russian historian in court for grisly murder of ex-student lover A Russian historian who confessed to murdering and dismembering his 24-year-old ex-student lover appears in court as calls grow for an investigation into his alleged abuse of female students. Pale and unshaven, the 63-year-old prominent Napoleon expert broke down in tears in the glass enclosure, covering his face with his hands, as judges were to decide whether to formally arrest him. The horrific case implicating the father of two drew fresh attention to violence against women in Russia, including in academic circles, which critics said authorities were not taking seriously.