Cumali Turhan was seen in a pub with the man suspected of torturing and killing him
The pair were seen in a pub(Image: Channel 4)
A father was photographed talking with his alleged killer just moments before he was brutally tortured to death and had his tongue and genitals severed.
Cumali Turhan was spotted in a Chelmsford, Essex, pub with Ceyhan Dinler on November, 19 2024, before they both headed to a nearby bar. The 45-year-old Cumali was stabbed and mutilated while Dinler fled to his home country of Turkey the following day.
The Channel 4 documentary Catching a Killer: Buried Truths has unveiled the harrowing details of the single father’s final moments and the police’s quest to locate his body in a vast rubbish dump.
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. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.
During the gruesome assault the tip of the victim’s tongue and a portion of his genitals were severed and discarded in a bin. Police stated 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 that resulted in the recovery of Cumali’s remains. Her team eventually located his body 45 days after the murder 20 miles away at the Enovert landfill site in Stanway, reports the Mirror.
This is believed to be the first instance in the UK where a police search of a rubbish dump has resulted in the recovery of a body. In total 10 sites were 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 assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial.
The trial revealed that Cumali had allegedly been involved with Dinler’s girlfriend leading to an “ongoing and simmering issue” between the two men.
They were captured on CCTV at The Glove pub in Chelmsford after the suspected murderer called his target four times.
The footage showed the men engaged in a “heated” conversation before shaking hands and departing together.
It seems that Dinler then enticed Cumali to the Barista bar in Duke Street just a minute’s walk from the local police station. CCTV did not capture the deceased man leaving and police later discovered his blood on the ceiling and the suspect’s bloody fingerprint on a table.
Prosecutors believe the Tottenham Hotspur fan was fatally stabbed in the neck after being mutilated.
Ms Metcalfe commented on the horrific discovery of the body parts: “Certainly not what I was expecting on a Saturday afternoon.”
Another detective stated: “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 informing a worker he had cleaned up the bar following the murder.
He later alleged that he was threatened with a knife by Dinler, which led to him being coerced into helping move the body and place it in a wheelie bin. Unaware of its contents refuse collectors subsequently disposed of Cumali’s remains in landfill.
The mother of Cumali’s daughter revealed their relationship ended following the death of their son. Shortly before his own death he sent a text message to his ex-partner, stating: “I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry I failed my family.”
Essex Police are still keen to question Dinler regarding the death and have stated they are collaborating with the Crown Prosecution Service to locate him.
Ms Metcalfe added: “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 participated in the search, 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.”
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