A woman in Germany accused of luring her beauty blogger lookalike to death did so by offering her a free skin treatment, it is alleged.
Shahraban K. and friend Sheqir K., both 24, are accused of attacking blogger Khadidja O. because of her striking resemblance to Shahraban, with both having the same dark hair and complexion.
Shahraban K. allegedly tracked down her lookalike on social media and stabbed her 50 times with her boyfriend in an attempt to simulate her own death.
Prosecutors said the couple directed many of the cuts and stab wounds to Khadija O’s face, apparently to make it easier to fool the investigation.
A court in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, heard how they thought they could pass their victim’s body off as Shahraban K. so she could escape her strict Iraqi family.
ALLEGED KILLER: Shahraban K (pictured). and friend Sheqir K., both 24, are charged with the death of handpicked blogger Khadija O. due to her striking resemblance to Shahraban, with both sharing the same dark hair and complexion
VICTIM: Algerian beauty blogger Khadidja O (pictured) was stabbed 50 times in the German city of Ingolstadt, her face completely disfigured by the number of stab wounds
Prosecutors say the killer pair contacted random girls on social media who resembled Shahraban K. enough to convince a coroner.
“We determined that the female suspect had decided to go into hiding because of family internal quarrels,” state prosecutor Veronika Grieser told local media on Thursday. “She wanted to fake her own death and start a new life.”
On August 9 last year, the killers messaged their victim via social media offering her the chance to star in a video for German rapper Lune.
The pair—who named their fake account “lunee.officiel”—told her, “You don’t have to do much. It would be great to hear from you. Would take place in Offenburg.’
And they added, “It has to be kept secret until the song comes out.”
But Khadija got suspicious and sent a message to the star’s official account. Lune answered and said, “It’s fake, sis.” Don’t answer!’
Just two days later, the defendants used another Instagram account to get in touch.
Prosecutor Grieser said, “This time they offered a beauty treatment that would be free if their victim advertised it on social media.”
They agreed to meet in Eppingen, the victim’s hometown according to Grieser, where the killers picked up Khadidja in a Mercedes.
“They drove towards Ingolstadt, but asked the 23-year-old to get out of the car in a forest,” she said. “She was hit on the head at least once and then stabbed 56 times.”
Police spokesman Andreas Aichele explained: ‘Her face was seriously injured by the more than fifty stabbings.’
The killers put their victim’s body back in the car, leaving the vehicle just a few blocks from where Shahraban K. lived in Ingolstadt.
Her shocked parents discovered the victim’s body in the Mercedes later that day and assumed it was their daughter.
German police officers had initially identified the body, which was inside the parked Mercedes, as Shahraban K – as the alleged killers had planned.
But after an autopsy, suspicions arose about the identity of the body, and the victim Khadija has since been identified.
Sheqir K, 24, has been charged with murder
Prosecutors said the couple directed many of the cuts and stab wounds to Khadidja O’s face (pictured), apparently to make it easier to fool any investigation into her death
Shahraban and Sheqir were tracked down and arrested after forensic examination and a check of the victim’s tattoos revealed her true identity.
Prosecutors – who plan to question 190 witnesses in court – have charged the duo with murder following extensive DNA checks and the examination of social media and cell phone records.
The pair are being held in custody and their full trial is expected to begin soon.
Neither has ever issued a statement or commented on the allegations.