Jandarma Criminal Investigation Team (JASAT) officers have successfully solved a double murder case that occurred in Istanbul a decade ago. The breakthrough came after the discovery of skull and bone fragments in a forest in Mengen, Bolu, on July 24, 2024.
Investigation Initiated After Discovery of Remains
Following the discovery of human remains in Yumrutaş village, Mengen district of Bolu, an investigation was launched under the coordination of the Gendarmerie General Command’s Public Order Department, the Criminal Department, and the Bolu Provincial Gendarmerie Command’s Public Order Branch JASAT teams.
In collaboration with the Istanbul Police Department, the remains were identified as belonging to two foreign national women, M.M. and M.Y., who had been reported missing since 2016.
DNA Identification Through Interpol
The Gendarmerie Criminal Department contacted the victims’ families via Interpol, and DNA samples obtained from their relatives living in Istanbul confirmed the identities of the deceased.
Crucially, samples taken from the victims also matched DNA evidence from a cigarette butt found at the scene of another murder committed in Istanbul in 2016.
Suspects Identified and Re-arrested
Further investigation by JASAT and Mengen District Gendarmerie Command teams, including an analysis of HTS (Historical Traffic Search) records, revealed that the victims were murdered by F.Y. and Y.D. and subsequently buried in the forested area in Mengen.
It was determined that the perpetrators were already serving sentences for another premeditated murder committed in 2016. On February 25, 2026, the two suspects were re-arrested and charged with ‘premeditated murder’.
Details of the Crime
The victims, M.M. and M.Y., were foreign nationals who had been missing for 10 years. The exact circumstances of their deaths in Istanbul in 2016 are still under investigation, but the connection to the cigarette butt from another case proved vital in solving this long-standing mystery.
The successful resolution of this cold case highlights the meticulous work of the JASAT teams and the importance of forensic evidence in criminal investigations.
The suspects will now face additional charges for the double murder. The case is a testament to the persistent efforts of law enforcement to bring justice to victims, even years after a crime has been committed.
