In the quiet, gated community of Amberlea in Sarasota, Florida, a shocking act of violence shattered the peace on February 10, 2026, claiming the life of 66-year-old Florita Stolyar and several of her family members. The tragedy unfolded as part of a cross-state killing spree that began in Fort Lauderdale and ended in a murder-suicide in Sarasota, leaving a total of seven people dead.
The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Russell Kot, had recently moved to Florida and was temporarily
staying with a family acquaintance, 46-year-old Larisa Blyudaya, in her Fort Lauderdale home. For reasons that remain under investigation, Kot turned violent, fatally shooting Larisa and her 18-year-old son, Ben Azivov. Following the initial murders, Kot then drove over 200 miles north to Sarasota, to the home where Florita Stolyar resided with her husband, 61-year-old Anatoly Ioffe.
Upon arriving at the Sarasota residence, the violence continued. Kot shot and killed Florita Stolyar, her husband Anatoly Ioffe, her son Yaroslav 'Stan' Blyudoy, who was 39, and a 49-year-old family friend, Olga Greinert. Investigators believe Kot may have killed Greinert and Blyudoy first and then waited for Stolyar and Ioffe to return home before murdering them as well. Another man was shot in the front yard of the home as he approached the front door. After carrying out the multiple homicides, Russell Kot then took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The discovery of the deceased in Sarasota began around 12:24 p.m. when the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about a man being shot in the front yard of a residence on Fallcrest Circle. Upon their arrival, deputies found the man and entered the home to find the other four victims and the deceased suspect. The investigation in Sarasota soon connected with the double homicide in Fort Lauderdale, revealing the full and devastating scope of the tragic events. The communities in both Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale were left to mourn the senseless loss of life.
