Destination Club Leader Thanos Papalexis Stands Trial

By: Destination Club News
Date: June 9, 2009

Thanos Papalexis, a guiding force behind destination clubs Grand Legacy Club and Vita Luxury, sat in court today and listened to a brutal discussion of a murder in 2000 in which he is accused.

According to the prosecution, Papalexis was desperately looking to sell a £2 million warehouse in the northern part of London. Unfortunately, 55-year old Charalambos Christodoulides lived in a flat inside the building. "It appears that the victim was condemned to die for no better reason than he was not prepared to leave his home," said prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw.

Christodoulides went missing the day that contracts were exchanged regarding the property. Two weeks later in March of 2000, his body was found at the bottom of a mechanic's pit. According to Laidlaw, "The murder was brutal. It was a terrible way for an innocent man to lose his life."

Allegedly, Christodoulides was tied to a chair, tortured and strangled after not vacating the premises. According to the prosecution, fingerprints, DNA on cigarette butts, and cellular phone records place Papalexis, Ylli Xhelo, and Robert Baxhiji at the warehouse at the time of the murder. All three have denied involvement.

Papalexis eventually made his way to the states and served at Grand Legacy Club and then at a very similar venture, Vita Luxury. Fraud accusations and unethical business practice claims were levied against Papalexis and other partners at the two clubs and both failed before gaining much traction in the destination club industry.

Papalexis was arrested in November of 2008 and waived extradition. The case continues.