A murder suspect who was on the run for three days after allegedly killing two policemen was found dead near to a river in northern Greece yesterday after he apparently committed suicide, police said.

The body of 23-year-old Russian Maxim Zhilim was found close to the banks of the Malakasiotis River, near the Katara mountain pass, with a bullet wound to the right temple.

Zhilim was found about 2 kilometers from the spot where he escaped from police custody on Friday with help of another inmate, and allegedly shot and killed the two escorts with a police revolver.

According to police officers, Zhilim took his own life at about 7 p.m. on Sunday night after enduring below-zero temperatures wearing only a T-shirt and jeans. He had been accused of killing a female motorist in Corfu last October.

Police chief Giorgos Angelakos said that he probably resorted to suicide due to the difficult conditions and after he realized that he could not escape from the massive police search operation.

More than 150 police were combing the area for the Russian fugitive with the help of heat sensor equipment, sniffer dogs and helicopters.

On Sunday, the second inmate who escaped, Ilmi Dada, was found hiding in a hut and suffering from hypothermia. Officers described the operation yesterday as a success as they sought to play down criticism over how the inmates were able to escape and kill two officers in the first place.