Human remains were found near the A19 in North Yorkshire during a search for Rania Alayed, murdered 12 years ago.
Rania was a mum-of-three from Teesside. She was 25 when Ahmed Al-Khatib killed her in his brother’s Salford flat in June 2013. He tried to fool her loved ones, claiming she was alive and buried by the A19 near Thirsk.
Al-Khatib, from Gorton, got a life sentence in June 2014. He had to serve at least 20 years. Despite many searches, Rania’s body was never found.
Police started a search on Monday, February 24, at a layby on the A19, looking for Rania Alayed’s body. Officers unearthed buried human remains on Tuesday, February 25.
The police have not yet identified the remains but strongly suspect they belong to Rania. Officers informed her family and are providing them with trained support. Police will secure the scene for further work, with specialist officers present.
Rania’s son, Yazan, called the discovery surreal after so long. He said the family wants a final resting place and that flowers for his mother are all they want.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, who leads Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team, commented that they likely located Rania’s body. He hopes it brings closure to her family, who endured much pain and grief.
Police kept Rania’s family informed and received updates during past searches. This latest development brought them more updates. Her murder was truly awful, and the unknown location of her body caused pain. He hopes they can reunite her with family, who deserve a proper resting place.