Man jailed after body found in Colchester landfill site
It happened last year
After a police investigation which included the painstaking 47-day search of an Essex landfill site, a man has been jailed for his role in the death of Cumali Turhan.
Ciprian Ilie has today been sentenced for his actions, after the death of the 46-year-old and the subsequent disposal of his body.
It comes after a two-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Ilie, 44, of no fixed address, was found guilty of assisting an offender (murder) and preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.
Ilie had been arrested at a homeless shelter following serious concerns for Cumali’s welfare after he was reported missing by his employer.
During interview Ilie told officers he received a call in the early hours of Tuesday 19 November 2024 and was told to go Barista bar in Duke Street in Chelmsford.
He said that he went into the premises and was faced with blood on the floor and a body in the corner. He went on to say that he was threatened with a knife and forced to help pick up the body and put it in a bin at the back of the bar.
Ilie told officers that both he and his girlfriend had been threatened, and so did what he was ordered to do.
The jury heard that Cumali had been drinking in the evening before his disappearance with Ceyhan Dinler at The Globe in Rainsford Road, Chelmsford.
CCTV footage showed them leaving the pub and walking to Barista in nearby Duke Street. Cumali was not seen alive again.
Determined to get justice
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe, who oversaw the investigation, said: “This case is extremely complex and has involved teams of officers and staff working in very difficult circumstances to uncover what happened to a father-of-two.
"What started as a missing person report escalated quickly into a murder investigation when it became apparent to us that Cumali Turhan had come to serious harm.
"At the heart of this case is a father. Cumali has a young daughter who must now grow up without him and grieving parents in Turkey.
"We were determined to do everything we could to find Cumali and secure justice for his family.”
This commitment included securing and reviewing 260 hours of CCTV footage, investigative work involving 40 detectives and more than 1650 officer shifts searching in 10 separate locations.
The final search is believed to be the first time an active police search of a landfill site in the UK has recovered a body.
Working ten-hours-a-day in extremely difficult conditions, the officers meticulously and sensitively searched a specific area of 5,000m2 (around the size of a full-size football pitch), which was five metres deep in places. The team searched through 1,500 tonnes of waste.
Sergeant Simon Gray, who led the search team’s gruelling and vital work, said: “The officers worked incredibly hard on this operation.
"It was never lost on us that we wanted to find Cumali and bring him home to his family. It was mentally and physically challenging for all those involved, and we were acutely aware that we would not be able to continue the search indefinitely.
"I think the fact that this is the first time a body has been located during an active search on a landfill site is testament to how difficult this search was
"And I would like to acknowledge and thank the site owners for their patience and support.”
To help with this meticulous work, the search team worked closely with an anthropologist throughout to assist with assessing items found and ensuring scientific integrity.
On the day Cumali was reported missing, 38-year-old Ceyhan Dinler left the UK via Stansted Airport.
Essex Police is actively trying to locate Mr Dinler, who is wanted in connection with Cumali’s death.
It says it's working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and appropriate authorities.