Man Charged in Redmond Massage Therapist's Homicide Returns from LA

This article was written by Venice Buhain.

Aleksandr Polak, accused of killing ex-wife, Nataliya Vabishchevich, in her Bellevue condominium, has been extradited from Los Angeles back to King County to stand trial, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Polak is accused of stabbing Vabishchevich, 35, to death on June 17 in her home at the Tenth Place at Bellevue condominium complex, according to the charging papers. An autopsy showed that she had been stabbed more than 72 times, according to court papers.The couple had a son, who was at his middle school when his mother was killed.
Editor's note:
Aleksey Konoplev, a friend of Vabishchevich, posted the above YouTube video in tribute to her, and asking for donations to a BECU account to help her family in Belarus and her son. Hat tip to Carol Dunn (Twitter: caroldn). 

Polak, who had returned to the Seattle area within the past few months, was arrested on June 20 in Los Angeles. Police interviewed Polak interviewed initially in the hours after the discovery of the Vabishchevich. Bellevue police investigators then followed Polak to southern California, where he traveled via Greyhound, according to court documents. Passengers told police that Polak said he was heading to Europe through Mexico, according to court documents. 

Polak has been booked into the King County Jail on a no-bail hold, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. An arraignment date has not yet been set. 

A memorial fund at BECU has been set up to help with the needs of Vabishchevich's son. The account number is 3595359437, according to Pure Chiropractic of Bellevue, one of two chiropractic clinics where she worked as a massage therapist. She also worked at Eastside Life Chiropractic in Redmond.