A Woman Was Killed by Her Husband in 2013 but Her Body Was Never Found. Police Just Made a 'Surreal' Discovery

Mar. 15, 2025

Rania Alayed.Photo:Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police shared the news apress releaseon Wednesday, Feb. 26, stating that remains had been found in Thirsk the previous day after a search in the area began on Feb. 24.

In June 2014, her husband, Ahmed Al-Khatib, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years imprisonment, per the release.

Flowers left at the scene where the remains were discovered.Anna Gowthorpe/PA Images via Getty

Anna Gowthorpe/PA Images via Getty

Specialist officers will be carrying out further work at the scene, which “will remain in place for the coming days," the release added.

“The discovery of my mother’s remains more than a decade onwards has come as a surreal surprise to me and my family,” Alayed’s son Yazan said in a statement, per the release.

“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.”

Rania Alayed.Greater Manchester Police

According to the BBC, recent years saw the search for the mother of three’s body being focused around the A19 area after Al-Khatib’s brother Muhaned Al Khatib told the police she had been buried there.

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Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team, said in a statement, per the release, “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,” he added.

Higginson described the murder as “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,” he concluded.

source: people.com