Cumali Turhan was caught on CCTV drinking with Ceylhan Dinler shortly before he was lured to a bar and tortured
A father was captured on camera chatting with his alleged murderer just moments before he was brutally tortured to death, including having his tongue severed.
Cumali Turhan was spotted in a Chelmsford, Essex pub with Ceyhan Dinler on November 19, 2024, before the two men proceeded to a nearby bar. Forty-five-year-old Cumali was then stabbed and horrifically mutilated, while Dinler escaped to his home country of Turkey the following day, reports the Mirror.
The chilling circumstances surrounding the final hours of the father-of-one’s life, as well as the subsequent police hunt for his body in a large rubbish dump, have been depicted in the Channel 4 documentary “Catching a Killer: Buried Truths”.
Dinler, who remains at large, is believed to have stabbed Cumali in the neck at the Barista bar before departing the UK from Stansted airport the next day.
In a gruesome detail, it was revealed that the tip of Cumali’s tongue and part of his genitals were severed during the savage attack and discarded in a bin. Police indicated that bruising at the base of the tongue suggested it had been forcibly extended and cut while Cumali was still alive.
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe spearheaded the search operation which eventually led to the recovery of Cumali’s remains, providing some closure for his bereaved family. His body was finally located 45 days post-murder, 20 miles away at the Enovert landfill site in Stanway.
It is thought to be the first time a police search of a dump has recovered a body in the UK. The extensive operation saw 10 sites searched using 1,650 officer shifts.
Ciprian Ilie, a 44 year old Romanian national, was sentenced to seven years in prison last October after being convicted of aiding an offender and obstructing a lawful burial.
The court heard that the victim, Cumali, had allegedly been romantically involved with Dinler’s girlfriend, leading to a “ongoing and simmering issue” between the two men. CCTV footage from The Glove pub in Chelmsford showed the suspected killer calling his rival four times before they were seen engaging in a “heated” conversation, followed by a handshake and their departure together.
It seems Dinler then lured Cumali to the Barista bar on Duke Street, a stone’s throw away from the local police station. The deceased man was not captured leaving the premises on CCTV, and subsequent police investigations discovered his blood on the ceiling and the suspect’s bloody fingerprint on a table.
Prosecutors believe the Turkish national was stabbed in the neck after being tortured. Ms Metcalfe expressed her shock at the discovery of the body parts: “Certainly not what I was expecting on a Saturday afternoon.”
Another detective commented: “He’s gone to an extreme in this case. He hasn’t just stabbed this person multiple times, he has caused extreme pain to this person by torturing them.”
Ilie was arrested at a homeless shelter after confessing to a staff member that he had cleaned up the bar following the murder.
He later alleged that he was threatened with a knife by Dinbler before being coerced into helping to move the body and place it in a wheelie bin. Refuse collectors then unknowingly disposed of Cumali’s remains in landfill.
The mother of Cumali’s daughter revealed they had separated after their son passed away at a young age. He sent a text to his ex shortly before his death, stating: “I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry I failed my family.”
Essex Police are still keen to speak to Dinler in relation to the death and have stated they are collaborating with the Crown Prosecution Service to locate him.
Ms Metcalfe said: “Throughout this extremely challenging investigation every officer and member of staff involved was committed to finding Cumali and securing justice for him and his loved ones.
“At the heart of this case is a father who lost his life in truly horrific circumstances and a young daughter who must grow up without him. We never lost sight of this, and we are resolute in our determination to ensure our main suspect in this case is also brought before the courts.”
Sergeant Simon Gray, who was also part of the search team, added: “I hope this documentary shows people the dedication and commitment of everyone involved in that search. We were faced with an incredibly challenging environment and often poor weather conditions, which hampered this sensitive and intricate work. It was never lost on us that we needed to find Cumali and bring him home to his family.”
