If, like us, all you want to do in this frosty weather is stay inside on the sofa, then listen up. A new true crime documentary has landed on Channel 4 and follows "one of the most challenging investigations" conducted by Essex Police.
Channel 4's Catching A Killer: Buried Truths true crime documentary investigates the tragic murder of Cumali Turhan. The 45-year-old was reported missing from Chelmsford on 18 November 2024 when he failed to show up for work. His disappearance spiralled into a complex 'no body' murder investigation, and Essex Police detectives spent weeks searching for Turhan.
After a six-week search, which involved more than 1650 officer shifts in 10 separate locations, Turhan's body was found at an Essex landfill site. Scroll on for details on who killed Turhan, and where his alleged murderer is now...
Who is Ceyhan Dinler?
Essex Police named Ceyhan Dinler as the suspect in the murder of Cumali Turhan. It is believed Dinler stabbed Turhan – described as his "love rival" – in the neck at Barista Bar in Chelmsford on 19 November. Police found Turhan's "severed penis and severed tip of his tongue" in a bin inside the bar, where Dinler worked.
Where is Ceyhan Dinler now?
The morning after he allegedly murdered Turhan, Ceyhan Dinler boarded a plane to Turkey from London Stansted Airport. He has not been seen since and is thought to still be on the run in Turkey.
In Dinler's absence, accomplice Ciprian Ilie was brought to justice. During the investigation, Essex Police arrested the Romanian national who said he worked odd jobs for Dinler. He was arrested and put on trial for assisting an offence and preventing the decent burial of a body. During his three-week trial, Ilie told jurors that Dinler threatened him at knifepoint to dispose of Turhan's body. Ultimately, Ilie was sentenced to seven years in prison, but so far is the only person to serve any time for Turhan's killing.
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According to Essex Police, detectives still want to "speak" to Dinler in connection to Turhan's death. "They are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and appropriate authorities to achieve this," Essex Police said of Dinler's whereabouts.
"At the heart of this case is a father who lost his life in truly horrific circumstances and a young daughter who must grow up without him," added senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe, who appears in Channel 4's documentary. "We never lost sight of this, and we are resolute in our determination to ensure our main suspect in this case is also brought before the courts."
Watch Catching a Killer: Buried Truths on Tuesday 6 January at 9pm on Channel 4.
