Court OKs teen murder sentences

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The Supreme Court of Appeals approved a sentence of 24 years in for Cem Garipoğlu, who had been found guilty of murdering and dismembering his teenage girlfriend in 2009.

The Supreme Court also overturned an Ankara court’s decision to acquit Cem’s father, Nida Garipoğlu, arguing that he was a co-conspirator, while approving the court’s verdicts for four other suspects.
Garipoğlu killed his girlfriend, 17-year-old Münevver Karabulut, for allegedly cheating on him via text messages. Karabulut’s remains were found in a garbage can in central Istanbul’s Etiler neighborhood. Garipoğlu successfully hid from police for 197 days after the murder, during which time Karabulut’s family launched a media campaign to find Garipoğlu and bring him to justice. Some accused Garipoğlu’s family, who are extremely wealthy, of using their connections to hide their son.

The Supreme Court approved verdicts against four other suspects, including Garipoğlu’s mother, Makbule Garipoğlu, and uncle, Hayyam Garipoğlu, who were each sentenced to three years in prison for destruction of evidence. Ahmet Batur, Mehmet Karakayalı and Habib Kurt, employees of Hayyam Garipoğlu’s company, were also sentenced for harboring an outlaw.