An individual who looked strikingly similar to a famous influencer has been sentenced to life imprisonment for disfiguring the influencer in an elaborate scheme to feign her own demise and evade her controlling relatives.
The culprit, Schahraban K., aged 25, and her partner in crime, Sheqir K., aged 26, were found guilty of the savage murder of Khadidja O., a 23-year-old influencer known for her beauty.
The victim was specifically targeted due to her resemblance to Schahraban. The intention behind the gruesome act was to use Khadidja’s mutilated body to deceive her family into believing that she had perished, thus enabling Schahraban to disappear and embark on a new life.
The court in Germany heard harrowing details of how Schahraban meticulously planned the crime, local outlet BR24 reports.
Posing as a beauty treatment provider, she lured Khadija into her car with the promise of free services.
Accompanied by Sheqir, the pair drove to a remote forest near Heilbronn, where they stabbed Khadidja 56 times in a vicious and calculated attack.
They then placed her body in the trunk of Schahraban’s car, intending to pass it off as her own.
Khadidja’s body was discovered on August 16, 2022, by Schahraban’s parents, who were misled and initially believed their daughter had been murdered.
Shahraban was arrested earlier this year while allegedly wearing her victim’s designer handbag.
But forensic analysis quickly revealed the truth, unravelling a plot so twisted it has been described as “deviating from usual crimes” by the Ingolstadt Regional Court.
Prosecutors detailed how Schahraban spent weeks scouring Instagram for a lookalike, according to the BR24 outlet.
She contacted at least 24 women before targeting Khadidja, a young beauty blogger with brown hair and eyes similar to her own.
Using fake social media accounts, Schahraban initially posed as a music video producer, but when Khadidja grew suspicious, she pivoted to offering free beauty treatments to gain her trust, the court heard.
The court concluded that Khadidja was chosen purely because of her resemblance to Schahraban, making her an innocent victim of a meticulously premeditated crime.
Schahraban’s motive stemmed from a desperate desire to escape her family’s control after losing her job and apartment following a failed marriage, the court was told.
Prosecutors suggested that her plan also involved elements of black magic, a claim supported by Arabic notes and a photograph of her ex-husband found in her car.
Schahraban reportedly sought to “sacrifice” Khadidja to aid in her escape and cursed those who opposed her.
The court dismissed defense arguments questioning the resemblance between Schahraban and Khadidja, emphasizing the calculated nature of the crime, local media reported.
Both Schahraban and Sheqir were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court ruled that Schahraban’s guilt carried “particular severity,” meaning she will not be eligible for parole before serving 15 years.
The pair showed no visible emotion as the verdict was read, while the father of Khadidja fought back tears as her horrific injuries were described.
The court also revealed disturbing details about further criminal intentions.
Schahraban allegedly paid €5,000 to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband’s brother, while Sheqir attempted to arrange the murder of witnesses from prison, the Daily Mail reports.
The trial, which began in January this year, spanned 53 days and involved over 100 witnesses.
Khadidja’s father’s lawyer said after the verdict: “Even a court ruling will not bring peace.”
The influencer’s best friend, Leyla D, also attended the trial.
She said: “I can’t explain how anyone could do this to her.
“She was by far the person with the biggest heart.”
