A Greco-Roman wrestling champion was murdered while attempting to defend his girlfriend from being harassed by a group of men.

Sergey Chuev, 34, was found dead in a park near Yuzhnobutovskaya Street in south-western Moscow On June 7. Law enforcement later revealed that the wrestle’s body was retrieved from a nearby pond and that he had died from his wounds at the scene of the crime.

While the investigation is currently underway, reports revealed that the incident took place when a group of six men began to verbally harass Chuev’s girlfriend as the couple walked by in the park. Chuev attempted to intervene, which led to a physical altercation. The group ganged up on the wrestler and eventually tossed him into a nearby pond, where he reportedly lost consciousness and drowned.

“At first Sergey had a fight with one, then two more attacked him, knocked him into the water. The final blow was a foot. From this, he died,” said Chuev’s girlfriend, whose name has not been disclosed.

Shortly following Chuev’s death, local law enforcement officers detained all six suspects. Yulia Ivanova, a senior assistant to the head of the Main Investigation Department in Moscow, revealed that “thanks to the joint work of officers and criminal investigators, with sustenance of the National Guard, the suspects in the crime were detained”. All six of the men ranged from 23 to 29 years of age and appeared to be natives of Tajikistan. A criminal case was launched against the detained suspects under Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of Russia regarding “murder committed by a group of persons in a premeditated display of hooliganism”. Prison sentences range from eight to 20 years, and in some cases, even life imprisonment.

Chuev’s death quickly became national news in Russia, with many athletes, celebrities, and local citizens offering their condolences for the tragic death, including famous Russian actor Gosha Kutsenko refereed to Chuev as a “noble man.” Others left lovely messages on his social media pages.

“You are a hero of our time,” read one comment. “You are a person who did not replace the concept of values ​. Rest in peace, man.”