Natalia Wilson

I have a long list of cases to research to blog about.  I get the names of the cases through different media outlets... television shows, news articles, books and the like.  The sad thing is that it seems in today's world some cases just seem to "routine."  Over the last few days I have been going through my list and so many of them are spouse (or ex spouse) against spouse. We all know, at least all of you who are into true crime stories like I am, that when a murder occurs the first person looked at is a current or ex-spouse (or boy/girl friend) and sadly this has become the norm because it happens so often.  So when Phillip Naydenova found his wife, Slavka and her son Paul Wilson dead in their home it is not unexpected that media comments and outlets questioned his story in the beginning.  Phillip had stated that he had spoken to Slavka on the phone and she had told him that a woman who spoke Russian was at the door asking to use the bathroom.  This comment sent people reeling and speculating.  People found this statement to be odd and many accused him of lying, because we all know it is always the spouse... right?  Well, in this case they were wrong.

Late in the evening on February 1,2010 Phillip Naydenova was talking to his wife, Slavka, on the telephone.  He was returning home and apparently was making sure Slavka was going to be picking him up later that evening. While they were on the phone Slavka told Phillip that there was a woman who spoke Russian at the door asking to use the bathroom. Soon after their cell phone connection was lost.  When Phillip arrived at his destination he continually attempted to call Slavka since she was not there waiting for him but he could not get an answer.  Finally Phillip called a friend for a ride and when they returned to the Naydenova house Phillip and his friend found his wife and his step-son, 8 year old Paul Wilson, dead in the home.  Both victims had been stabbed multiple times and Paul's body lay on top of his mother. He called 911 and the investigation began. Immediately after information of their deaths were known, it seems everyone had a theory.  Some believed Phillip must have been guilty, while others, including Slavka's father believed that the murders may have been linked to his son, the mobster, that was killed in 2003. By the following evening the police had made an arrest, but the suspect was not someone anyone expected.

Lester Wilson had previously been married to Slavka, a Bulgarian immigrant but they had divorced sometime after the birth of their son, Paul.  Lester and Slavka apparently had remained on friendly terms it seems.  Slavka had met Phillip in 2003 when she had returned to Bulgaria for the funeral of her brother, a Bulgarian mobster that had been murdered.  Phillip and Slavka, with Paul, had eventually settled back into the house that Lester and Slavka had bought previously, in Dale City Virginia, a suburb of Arlington.  In the last year Lester had also remarried and had settled in Arlington.  He had married a Russian mail order bride named, Natalia.  

After discovering the bodies and doing their initial investigation at the crime scene, officers went to the home of Lester and Natalia Wilson to notify them of the deaths and to ask them to be interviewed, to which they both did voluntarily.  Interviewing Natalia proved to be a bit difficult as she spoke little to no English, so an interpreter had to be brought into the interview with her.  Police were immediately suspicious of Natalia when they noticed she had cuts on her hands.  When questioned about them she stated she received them from slicing a pineapple earlier in the day... police were not buying it.   While the interview was going on the police had obtained cell phone records from Natalia's phone and learned that despite her claims, it appeared that she was in Dale City at the time of the murders. She was questioned off and on for the next eighteen hours or so, and while her attorney later argued the standard things when fighting to have things said in an interview dismissed in court admitted that she was given adequate breaks and also had the right to leave through out the interview that she gave willingly.  Finally on the following evening when confronted with the evidence that had been gathered at that point Natalia confessed that she in fact had murdered both Slavka and Paul.

In the end she plead guilty in order to avoid the death penalty and received two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. And while from a legal stand point it appeared to be an open and shut case, many questioned still lingered.

Sure Natalia confessed but like many who make confessions, it seems to have been riddled with half truths at best.  Natalia and Slavka had never met in person. I am uncertain as to if Paul had even met his step-mother.  It appears that Lester utilized his visitation at Slavka's home.  I could find no documentation or articles of any kind that explained the reason behind this. Whether it was a personal agreement between Lester and Slavka or it was in a court order, I cannot say.  However, apparently in Natalia's mind Lester spent way more time with and around Slavka than she was comfortable with, and we all know when a woman is uncomfortable with something she starts looking around.  One can presume, although I cannot prove, that Natalia had sought answers from Lester prior to going to Slavka's home and she did not like or trust those answers.  So, on the night of February 1, 2010 she went to Slavka's home.  It never seemed to be revealed how she got there.  It was indicated through some of my reading that she possibly did not drive and may have taken a cab or had someone take her but apparently that was never made known to the public.  Natalia knocked on the door and as Slavka indicated to her husband, had asked to use the bathroom.  Once she was finished she told police that she confronted Slavka, told her who she was and asked why her husband spent so much time at her home.  Natalia then stated to the police that Slavka became angry and came after her with a knife, threatening her and telling her to leave.  At this point Natalia all but claims to have blacked out and remembers nothing after this and only knows that mother and son were stabbed.

Since Natalia ended up taking a plea bargain there was no trial, hence no real defense.  However, prior to the agreement being settled her lawyers had indicated that they would argue self defense.  Really??  How do you argue self defense against an 8 year old boy? Once the judge in charge of the case refused to dismissed the taped confession Natalia made it seems her attorneys decided it was time to take a plea as the prosecutors were planning to seek the death penalty. Prosecutors theorize that Paul was actually murdered protecting his mother and that the crux of the motive was that Natalia was simply jealous of Paul and Slavka's relationship, but the truth will likely never be known.