Police have revealed chilling new details about a horrific murder in Essex, where a man was tortured, mutilated, and killed by a suspected love rival before his body was dumped in a landfill.
A Deadly Meeting in a Chelmsford Pub
Cumali Turhan, 45, was fatally stabbed in the neck after a sustained and brutal attack on November 19, 2024. The court heard that the key suspect, Ceyhan Dinler, had discovered that Turhan was in a secret relationship with his girlfriend.
Shortly before the murder, the two men were captured on CCTV having a pint together at The Glove pub in Chelmsford. The footage showed them engaged in a heated discussion before shaking hands and leaving together.
A Horrific and Prolonged Assault
The attack occurred at the Barista Bar on Duke Street in Chelmsford, a location startlingly close to the local police station. Turhan was subjected to a prolonged and savage torture. Part of his genitals and the tip of his tongue were cut off during the attack and discarded in a bin.
Forensic evidence indicated that bruising on the base of Turhan's tongue suggested it was forcibly pulled out and severed while he was still alive. Police later found his blood on the ceiling and a bloody fingerprint belonging to Dinler on a table.
A Landfill Search and a Conviction
In the aftermath, Dinler fled to his native Turkey the following day and remains a wanted man. However, Romanian national Ciprian Ilie, 44, was jailed for seven years in October 2025 after being found guilty of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial.
Ilie, who was arrested at a homeless shelter, claimed Dinler threatened him with a knife before forcing him to help move Turhan's body into a wheelie bin. Refuse collectors then unknowingly took the remains to the Enovert landfill site in Stanway, 20 miles away.
Led by Det Chief Insp Louise Metcalfe, Essex Police mounted a colossal search operation. Using 1,650 officer shifts across 10 locations, they recovered Turhan's remains 45 days after the murder. This is believed to be the first successful recovery of a body from a UK landfill by police.
A Family's Grief and a Hunt for Justice
The mother of Turhan's young daughter revealed they had separated after the death of their son. In a poignant final text sent before his death, Turhan told his ex-partner: "I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry I failed my family."
Essex Police continue to work with the Crown Prosecution Service to locate and extradite Dinler. DCI Metcalfe stated: "At the heart of this case is a father who lost his life in truly horrific circumstances... We are resolute in our determination to ensure our main suspect in this case is also brought before the courts."
The full story will be explored in a new Channel 4 documentary, "Catching a Killer: Buried Truths," airing on January 6 at 9pm.
