In a tragic sequence of events that spanned two Florida cities, Larisa Blyudaya, a 46-year-old woman, was killed on February 10, 2026. The violence began to unfold in her Fort Lauderdale home, where she and her 19-year-old son, Ben Azivov, were found shot to death. The discovery was made after Larisa's daughter, concerned for her mother's safety, repeatedly contacted the police to request a wellness check at the residence.
Her concern stemmed from the presence of a man described as an "admirer" who had been staying at the home.
The investigation into their deaths quickly connected to a gruesome scene 200 miles away in Sarasota. In a home within a gated community, law enforcement discovered the bodies of four more individuals. These victims were identified as Larisa's mother, 66-year-old Florita Stolyar, her stepfather, 61-year-old Anatoly Ioffe, her brother, 39-year-old Yaroslav 'Stan' Blyudoy, and a 49-year-old family friend, Olga Greinert. All had been fatally shot.
The suspected perpetrator of this multistage tragedy was identified as 51-year-old Russell Kot. Authorities reported that Kot was a family acquaintance whom Larisa had allowed to stay at her Fort Lauderdale apartment temporarily while he sought permanent housing. After allegedly killing Larisa and her son, Kot traveled to Sarasota, where he murdered her other family members and the family friend.
When Sarasota County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the Fallcrest Circle home, they found Kot deceased at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public. In Kot's vehicle, deputies discovered two handguns, ammunition, five knives, rope, tape, and an ax. Prior to the murders, Kot's own family had contacted police after he sent a suicidal text message. As the sole suspect took his own life, no arrests were made in connection with the six homicides.
