Mr Richards, 38, and Ben Hope deny murdering the 17-year-old in a bungled contract killing.

BBC: Aamir Siddiqi

It was the third contract killing of a Moscow hotel boss in 15 months.

ECONOMIST: Russia��s hotel from hell

Politicians say the murder bore all the hallmarks of a contract killing.

NPR: Killing of Top Banker Rocks Official Moscow

Robert O Marshall, who was spared the death penalty in 2004 after he had spent 18 years on New Jersey's death row convicted of the contract killing of his wife, said the decision was long overdue.

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Meningococcal disease is both unpredictable and deadly, killing 10% to 20% of those who contract it.

FORBES: Immunizing Bureaucrats Against Complacency