Rania Alayed was 25 when her husband Ahmed Al-Khatib killed her in June 2013, and 12 years on police searching for her body ‘strongly believe’ they have finally found her remains
Police searching for the remains of a mother-of-three murdered by her husband 12 years ago have found body parts.
Rania Alayed was 25 when Ahmed Al-Khatib killed her in June 2013 at a flat in Salford. Al-Khatib, from Gorton, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years imprisonment in June 2014. Her body was sadly never recovered despite several searches since.
However yesterday Greater Manchester Police located buried human remains by the A19 in Thirsk. The force had been operating in the area since Monday after receiving new information. No official identification has taken place but the force says it “strongly suspects” the remains are Rania’s.
GMP added: “Her family have been informed of the latest development and are being supported by specially trained officers. They remain at the forefront of our minds. A scene will remain in place for the coming days as further work is carried out by specialist officers.”
Rania’s son Yazan said: “The discovery of my mother’s remains more than a decade onwards has come as a surreal surprise to me and my family. At last, being able to provide a final resting place is all we have wanted for the last 11 years, to have the ability to lay down a few flowers for my mother is more than I can ask for from this world.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team, said: “More than a decade after her murder, we now strongly believe we have located Rania’s body and are finally able to provide closure to her family, who we know have endured so much pain and grief over the years.
“Rania’s family have always been kept informed following our searches over the last few years, and we are providing them updates as we get them following this most recent development.
“Her murder was utterly horrific and not knowing where her body is has inflicted further pain to all those who knew her. I hope that we are now able to finally reunite her with her family, where she belongs, so that they can give her a proper resting place.”
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