Woman looking for love online murdered

Kristina Medvedeva turned to online dating after moving to a new city.

Police are hunting a killer Romeo after a young woman was gruesomely murdered after hooking up with a man she met online.

The mutilated body of 22-year-old Kristina Medvedeva was found near a lake on the fringes of Ekaterinburg, Russia's fourth largest city, on July 27.

Police said her head had been virtually severed in the vicious attack.

Ms Medvedeva was last seen three days earlier by her female flatmate, who told investigators she failed to return from a first date she'd arranged with a stranger on the night of July 24, The Mirror reported.

Police said Medvedeva had been active on at least one dating website.

The shop assistant had only recently moved to Ekaterinburg from her provincial hometown of Talitsa in search of a new life.

But Ms Medvedeva found the city lonely and took to dating apps in a bid to find love.

Police have discovered her profile on at least one dating website and described her relationship status on social media as "actively searching".

The attack on Medvedeva was so vicious her head had almost been severed.

Detectives have trawled through the internet history on her computer and mobile phone but have not revealed whether they have been able to identify her mystery date.

A post mortem examination found no evidence that Ms Medvedeva had been sexually assaulted.

Her tragic death was being highlighted by the Russian media today as evidence of concern over the lack of security for women using dating websites, The Mirror said.