Turkish man accused of murdering wife, impersonating her to access bank

A man in Antalya, Turkey, stands accused of a brutal crime: murdering his wife and attempting to cover it up by impersonating her. Mehmet Erkan Usluca reported his foreign-born wife, Elena Beyder Usluca, missing in December 2018, claiming she had left home due to a cancer diagnosis.

However, a year-long investigation by the police suggested a darker reality. Authorities concluded that Elena Beyder Usluca was killed between November 24-26, 2018, by her husband. Suspicion also fell on the suspect's brother, R.U., for allegedly aiding in the concealment or destruction of the body.

During the investigation, Usluca's bank accounts and phone records were scrutinized. Notably, the investigation revealed that after his wife's death, Usluca allegedly transferred a significant sum of money to his brother's account. Furthermore, evidence suggests Usluca attempted to access his wife's bank accounts by mimicking her voice, a chilling detail that emerged from the investigation.

Both brothers were apprehended in an operation last year. Mehmet Erkan Usluca confessed to killing his wife during an argument and burying her body in a forest. While R.U. was released under an international travel ban, Mehmet Erkan Usluca was taken into custody pending trial. The investigation also uncovered that Usluca sold his wife's car shortly after her death using a power of attorney.