Karaman: Killer in 18-year-old tailor murder case identified as victim's closest friend

Turkish authorities have reportedly solved the 18-year-old murder case of tailor Erkan Erkara in Karaman, identifying his closest friend as the perpetrator. The Karaman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated a comprehensive review of historical unsolved murder cases, leading a special team to reinvestigate Erkara's death, which had remained a cold case since 2008.

Erkara, 33, disappeared on December 27, 2008, and his body was found wrapped in a blanket near the Gödet Dam on January 4, 2009. An autopsy revealed he had been killed by stab wounds. Despite initial investigations and witness interviews at the time, the case went unsolved and was shelved.

The renewed investigation focused on digital data, including 372 hours of surveillance footage from the period surrounding Erkara's disappearance. The analysis identified a hooded suspect entering a gas station with Erkara's vehicle on the night he vanished. Investigators focused on a barber, identified as M.E.K., who was Erkara's closest friend, as a potential suspect.

Low-resolution images from 2008 were sent to Istanbul Technical University, where advanced software enhanced them. Experts reported an 80-85% probability that the suspect in the footage was M.E.K. Following this scientific report, police arrested the barber. Examination of his phone records and cell tower data reportedly revealed discrepancies with his initial statement. Investigators allege that M.E.K. and Erkara argued over money on the night of the murder. Evidence also suggests M.E.K. parked Erkara's car near his own father's house after the murder, and his phone was found to have pinged a cell tower near the dam where the body was discovered shortly after the crime.