Police have revealed chilling new details about a brutal murder in Essex, where a father was mutilated and killed by a suspected love rival. The prime suspect remains on the run after fleeing the country.
A Fatal Meeting in a Chelmsford Pub
Cumali Turhan, 45, was fatally stabbed in the neck after being tortured on November 19, 2024. The attack followed a meeting between Turhan and Ceyhan Dinler at The Glove pub in Chelmsford. CCTV footage showed the two men having a pint together after Dinler allegedly rang his target four times.
The court heard the pair had a "heated" discussion before shaking hands and leaving together. The violence erupted shortly afterwards at the Barista Bar on Duke Street, a location startlingly close to the local police station.
A Horrific and Calculated Assault
The attack was of extreme brutality. The tip of Cumali Turhan's tongue and part of his genitals were cut off during the horrific assault. Forensic evidence indicated the mutilation likely occurred while the victim was still alive.
Police later discovered Turhan's blood on the ceiling of the bar and a bloody fingerprint belonging to Dinler on a table. The suspect then allegedly enlisted the help of another man, Ciprian Ilie, to dispose of the body.
The Landfill Search and Ongoing Manhunt
Ceyhan Dinler fled to his native Turkey the day after the murder. Meanwhile, Ciprian Ilie, 44, was jailed for seven years in October 2025 for assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial. Ilie claimed he was threatened with a knife before being forced to help move the body, which was placed in a wheelie bin.
In a painstaking operation led by Det Chief Insp Louise Metcalfe, police searched 10 locations over 45 days using 1,650 officer shifts. Turhan's remains were finally discovered 20 miles away at the Enovert landfill site in Stanway. This recovery is believed to be a UK first for a police search of a dump.
Essex Police are working with the Crown Prosecution Service to locate Dinler. The investigation revealed an "ongoing and simmering issue" between the two men, stemming from Turhan's alleged secret relationship with Dinler's girlfriend.
The victim's ex-partner, the mother of his young daughter, revealed they had split after the death of their son. In a poignant final text sent before his death, Turhan wrote: "I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry I failed my family."
The case features in a new Channel 4 documentary, "Catching a Killer: Buried Truths," which airs on January 6.
