Australian man raped, killed by three men he met through Airbnb

     
An Australian man was raped and killed at an Airbnb home in Melbourne by three men he met through the online service, authorities said.


Ramis Jonuzi was in the process of leaving the Brighton East residence when he was attacked by Craig Levy, Ryan Smart and Jason Colton last week, according to The Age.

Colton is accused of sexually assaulting the 36-year-old Jonuzi with an object. All three are charged with murder.

"He was definitely experiencing some problems, and he just needed a cheap and stable place to live," a pal of Jonuzi's told The Age.

Jonuzi was paying $30 a night to stay in the home, according to the Guardian. While he met the suspects through Airbnb, he "did not hang out with these people," a friend told The Age.

Some online reviewers called the house where Jonuzi stayed unsafe.

"Better way to spend a night, buy a $50 hammer smash your hand with it and go to the emergency hospital," a reviewer wrote last year, according to The Age.

Airbnb could not immediately be reached for comment, but the online marketplace and hospitality service told The Age in a statement that they were "deeply saddened and outraged" by the slaying.

"The family will have our full support and our hearts go out to them and all of his friends," the statement said. "We have removed this listing from our platform and will fully cooperate with law enforcement on their investigation. There is no place on Airbnb for such an abhorrent act, which violates everything our global community stands for."

Friends were unsure why Jonuzi was attacked, but tributes poured out for him on Facebook.