BREAKING NEWS: Palm Beacher Thanos Papalexis gets life sentence
Tags: Charalambos Christodoulides, London, Old Bailey, Palm Beach, Thanos Papalexis, Vita Luxury
| Wednesday 30 September 2009 8:13 am
Papalexis' London mugshot (Courtesy Press Association)
A Palm Beach businessman dubbed by the British press “the sadistic playboy” was sentenced to life in prison this morning in London’s Old Bailey courthouse.
As he sentenced Thanos Papalexis, 37, Judge Jeremy Roberts called the murderer “totally amoral.”
“You are a totally amoral person in the sense that you do not think twice in doing or saying anything which helps you achieve your own ends,” Roberts told Papalexis, according to The Guardian newspaper.
“This was an execution carried out for financial gain. You treated Charalambos (Christodoulides, the victim) as completely expendable.”
According to the British penal code, Papalexis will have to spend a mandatory 20 years behind bars before he becomes eligible for release.
An eyewitness told me Papalexis showed little emotion as he was sentenced, but blinked his eyes incessantly and shook sightly.
“The judge strictly followed the law,” said attorney Cemil Gersel, who represents Papalexis’ two co-defendants. They have yet to be tried but are accused of helping Papalexis in the killing. “A life sentence in England doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be in jail for the rest of your life. But he won’t be released before 20 years.”
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Papalexis left a trail of unpaid bills and breach-of-contract lawsuits in this area when he was arrested by U.S. Marshals in November as he had lunch at a downtown West Palm Beach terrace with his mistress, an employee of his now-defunct Vita Luxury company.
For five years in Miami and Palm Beach, Papalexis attempted to start several luxury clubs in which members would have access to goodies like a mansion in Palm Beach, a fleet of Rolls-Royces and private jets as well as a private island in The Bahamas. He failed miserably and buried himself in millions in debts.
Papalexis was accused in the 2000 killing of the 55-year Christodoulides. At the time Papalexis, who weaseled his way into society here partly by organizing sex orgies at his mansion, was trying to unload a warehouse he owned in London to make way for an apartment complex. With interests on the warehouse piling up for Papalexis, the victim refused to leave his modest flat inside the warehouse.
Papalexis' warehouse on the north side of London eventually became this apartment building (Courtesy BBC)
The brutality of the killing raised eyebrows among even the hardest-boiled London detectives. Papalexis and his Albanian henchmen, tortured then strangled Christodoulides then stuffed his body into an auto-mechanic’s pit on the ground floor of the warehouse.
Papalexis came under suspicion when cigarette butts carrying his DNA turned up at the scene.
A jury found Papalexis guilty Sept. 4, after a three-month trial that included a Palm Beach porn star as star witness and the alcohol poisoning death of another witness, Papalexis mistress Marie-Helene Jarry.
Too bad he can’t socialize with all the other Palm Beach misfits, rapists, murderers and swindlers. Jeff Epstein, Fred Keller and Bernie Madoff would feel right at home hanging out with Thanos. Come to think of it this guy was a mix of all three, part sex addict, murderer and swindler.
His tall tales will make him real popular in prison and with his good looks and charm he will be busy too!
He can be prison pen pals with Roman Polanski!
Palm Beach has some serious crimes for such a small privileged community!
[...] BREAKING NEWS: Palm Beacher Thanos Papalexis gets life sentence … [...]
Can’t wait to hear about the orgies he has in prison.
He is just your typical Palm Beach scumbag!
I am sure this guy will be very popular in prison. He better not bend over to pick up the soap.
He would love to bend over to pick up the soap.
[...] BREAKING NEWS: Palm Beacher Thanos Papalexis gets life sentence … [...]
Another monied sociopath convinced that his bank account makes him immune to the laws of man & nature. He’s not the first and, alas, won’t be the last on ‘The Island’. There will always be a large and pitiful collection of wannabes and hanger ons that will parasitically follow anyone they assume is successful simply because of the car he droves or the label on his clothes.
It’s part of what keeps, despite spotless streets and exquisite landscaping, a permanent stench wafting over our island neighbor.
He sure does have a purdy mouth… good luck scumbag
Some people have “disgraceful” in their DNA, and this dude was clearly one of them, compounded y sociopathic behavior. He tried to hire us, but in step with many other here in WPB/PB, we felt he was a sham, shyster and dishonorable. He wasn’t hard to see through. A few minutes with this guy and my unconscious was clearing its throat in my ear and tapping me on the shoulder saying “ahem,”
Maybe him and his boyfriend Gus Renny can be pen-pals, Gus will be joining him behind bars soon enough.
can’t wait til some of those british goons break the seal on his bazooo… ooops forgot that has already happened during some of his orgies… they are going to love him.
This stuff is better than cable!!
the monied or money chasing merchant class has a lot of moral issues… anything for a buck. this guy should be mayor of palm beach… in absentia of course
This is a lesson to be learned, this guy came here, set up his fanfarria and oops! Destroyed everything he touched. Those that have nothing to be ashamed of, wouldn’t be seen dealing with this guy!
Old money will always be old money! and that is priceless.
Not a good way to spend the next twenty years.
I remember being approached by his ssles people promotinh his luxury clubs at the Palm Beach Boat Show.
It sounded too good to be true. Did Frankel give back the campaign contributions she received from this con man..
Apparently people in Palm Beach Socialites are vety nieve, First it was the Korean Hedge Funds out of Boca promising 150.00% returns, Then Bernie Madoff.
I guess the promise of Drugs and Sex lures these people in.
[...] Today, DeFalco applauded the sentence that a court in England handed down against Papalexis: life behind bars. [...]
All the same in Palm Beach County… MADOFF, HANDLER & WEISS —- Crooks and Liars…..
A Corrupt law office WEISS & HANDLER — CASE FIXING, CRONYISM, BACKROOM DEALS & PAYOFFS…. Thats HENRY HANDLER….
Where is the STATE ATTY? HIDING!! CONFLICTS!!!!
THE FEDS ARE HERE…. Ask “UNCLE” Burt?????
I did time with Thanos in Wandsworth prison, London, earlier this year whilst he was awaiting his murder trial.
I think he spent too long in Palm Beach la-la land - turned him nuts. Still, he’s got 20 or so years to think about it now.
paul@paulsant.com