The body of Cem Garipoğlu, convicted of murdering 17-year-old Münevver Karabulut in 2009, will be exhumed on Wednesday following a decision by a Turkish court prompted by doubts about his 2014 death by suicide, Euronews Turkish edition reported on Friday, citing the Karabulut family lawyer.
The request to exhume Garipoğlu’s body was made by the Karabulut family, who have questioned the circumstances surrounding his alleged suicide in 2014. Garipoğlu, who was serving a 24-year sentence for the murder, reportedly hanged himself in Silivri’s L-Type Prison, but the Karabulut family was never allowed to view his body, fueling suspicions that he may have faked his death.
Rezan Epözdemir, the family’s lawyer, said the exhumation will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, adding that DNA samples will be collected to confirm the identity of the remains. The process was approved earlier this week, following years of speculation that Garipoğlu might be alive and living in a foreign country.
The murder of Münevver Karabulut in March 2009 shocked the country when her decapitated body was discovered in a trash container in Istanbul. Garipoğlu, her then-boyfriend and the son of a prominent businessman, evaded capture for nearly 200 days before turning himself in. His trial, which ended in 2011, drew widespread attention due to the brutal nature of the crime and allegations that his family used their influence to delay justice.
Garipoğlu’s reported suicide in 2014 added another layer of controversy, with rumors circulating that he had bribed officials and escaped from prison. The Karabulut family has maintained their belief that he may still be alive, despite official reports of his death.