Overview

• Emil Petrov, 61, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for the 2007 murder of his estranged wife, Cindy Crossthwaite, in her Melton South home.
• Petrov will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 20 years, as ruled by Justice Christopher Beale in the Victorian Supreme Court.
• The court determined Petrov was involved in a joint criminal enterprise to carry out the murder, though it remains uncertain if he personally committed the act.
• Prosecutors highlighted a bitter legal dispute over assets and custody as a key motive for the crime, which Petrov continues to deny committing.
• Cindy Crossthwaite’s family expressed relief at the sentencing, describing the years-long pursuit of justice as emotionally and mentally taxing.