A well-known independent Russian journalist has been found dead in his apartment in St. Petersburg.

Investigators said on April 1 that Dmitry Tsilikin, 54, had suffered multiple stab wounds and appeared to have been dead for at least two days.

His body was found on March 31 by relatives -- and his laptop computer and mobile phone were missing, according to the city Investigative Committee.The death was being investigated as a murder, it said.

Relatives told the St. Petersburg news portal Fontanka.ru that they had last been in contact with him last week, as he returned from a work trip to Riga, Latvia.

Tsilikin reported on culture and music and also contributed to independent media outlets, writing mainly about social issues and civil rights.

His articles were published in popular newspapers such as Chas Pik, Kommersant, The Moscow News, and Vedomosti, among others.

He was also a host of two popular programs on Russia’s RTR television channel in 2001-2003.

Tsilikin appeared frequently on roundtable discussions and other programs hosted by RFE/RL's Russian Service.

A total of 36 journalists have been murdered in Russia since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Many of the masterminds behind the killings have never been identified.