MOSCOW, December 17 (RIA Novosti) - The mayor of the town of Kandalaksha in northwest Russia's Murmansk Region was stabbed to death late on Tuesday, a police source said on Wednesday.
"An unidentified person ran up to the mayor as she was leaving her house, stabbed her in the neck and fled the scene," the source said.
Nina Varlamova, mayor of the town since 2007, died on her way to hospital.
A spokeswoman for the regional investigation department said Varlamova had managed to whisper the killer's name before succumbing to her injuries.
"The victim was conscious until the medics arrived. In the presence of witnesses she stated the name of a man, and he has already been detained," she said.
According to preliminary information, the suspect had reportedly threatened to kill Varlamova several times before, but the mayor had not taken any security measures, the spokeswoman said. An investigation is underway.
Officers from the Interior Ministry's criminal investigation department have been sent to Kandalaksha.
Kandalaksha, home to some 51,000 people, is a major transport hub some 280 kms (174 miles) from the regional capital of Murmansk.
