Pavol Rýpal, a Slovak freelance investigative journalist known for exposing organized crime, disappeared in April 2008 and is now believed to have been murdered, likely because of an order from the mafia, according to recent witness testimony and family statements.
Rýpal, 39, disappeared on April 22, 2008, from his rented apartment in Bratislava, the capital. Despite what is believed to be a simulated suicide note expressing despair and instructions regarding his belongings, his family and colleagues believe he was murdered in retaliation for his investigative reporting.
Slovak authorities are treating Pavol Rýpal’s case as a disappearance, with an active investigation. In April 2025, a convicted organized crime gang member imprisoned in Hungary, Norbert Kostov, claimed he and accomplices killed Rýpal on orders from a mafia boss and revealed alleged details about the murder and the location of Rýpal’s remains. Following these claims, the Office for Combating Organized Crime confirmed that the information provided by Kostov was being verified.
Rýpal rose to fame at the weekly Plus 7 Dní weekly newspaper where he reported on crime. Later, he worked as a freelancer covering organized crime for several news outlets, including the public broadcaster STV and the private news channel TV Markíza. Before his disappearance, he was investigating cases of individuals disappeared possibly at the hands of organized crime.