Ingolstadt, Bavaria – A German woman is on trial for the murder of a beauty blogger in a bizarre attempt to start a new life. The 24-year-old, Shahraban K, is accused of targeting the victim for her striking resemblance in what has been dubbed the “doppelganger murder” case.
State Prosecutor Veronika Grieser stated that the female suspect had planned to go into hiding due to family conflicts and had intended to fake her own death to start afresh. The accused comes from a strict Yazidi community in northern Iraq, and her failed marriage is suspected to have been the motive behind her plan to fake her own death.
Shahraban, along with her alleged accomplice, Sheqir K, 25, deny the charges against them. The victim’s father, who sat in court just meters away from the accused, expressed his desire to understand why his daughter had to die.
The prosecution claimed that Shahraban sought out women who resembled her through social media and attempted to meet them under false pretenses. It has been alleged that Khadidja O, the beauty blogger, was promised free treatment at a beauty salon and was then lured into a trap.
The victim was hit over the head with brass knuckles and stabbed 56 times, with the attackers purposefully disfiguring her face in an attempt to fake her death. However, forensic examinations and a check of the victim’s tattoos revealed her true identity, leading to the arrest of the accused duo.
According to prosecutors, the accused pair not only murdered the beauty blogger but also sought to commit further crimes, including giving murder orders to others. The trial proceedings have faced delays, with the defense lawyers claiming that a fair trial is not possible. The court is yet to decide on the suspension of the case.