The horrific Morocco murders video that appears to show a Danish tourist, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, being beheaded in a tent has been posted on the Facebook page comment thread of one of the two victims’ mothers. Warning: This attack is extremely disturbing and, thus, the details of what happened to the women are very graphic in nature.
Maren Ueland and Louisa Jespersen were Scandinavian tourists who were backpacking in Morocco, when they were slain in their tent in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack. The horrific video has widely circulated online, and it keeps popping up even after sites delete it, on 4Chan, Reddit, and the like – including, shockingly, in the Facebook comment thread of Irene Ueland, the mother of Maren.
Irene Ueland posted her daughter’s picture with a simple tribute: “❤️Maren vårs❤️ 23.11.1990 – 17.12.2018.”
Maren Ueland
Irene Ueland’s comment thread underneath that photo has filled with more than 7,000 comments from people offering prayers, expressing anger, condemning the attack – and sharing images and videos of the sickening video that appears to show backpacker Jespersen being murdered. Although numerous news sites previously reported that the video had been verified by authorities, Danish authorities now say they are still studying it, commenting that “the police and the intelligence agency are still analyzing the video, so we cannot at this time say anything about the authenticity of the video.”
“This is what those motherf*ckers did,” wrote one man who posted the video in Irene’s thread. Others chastised the man, with one writing, “This is the page of one of the girls´ mother! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!”
The horrific video shows a man cutting the head off a young woman, who screams at the beginning of the video before blood gushes from her throat. Eventually, the man completely removes her head from her body and puts it in a corner of the room. If you have any inclination to the watch the video, you should suppress it: It’s nightmare-inducing.
Here’s what you need to know:
A Second Video Shows the Suspects Pledging Allegiance to ISIS, Reports Say
What could be the motive for something so heinous? Terrorism is the suspected motive, as a second video shows the suspects pledging allegiance to ISIS, authorities say. News.com.au says authorities have verified that video, quoting them as saying, “The video showing the arrested individuals … pledging allegiance to Daesh was recorded last week before the execution of the criminal acts we are investigating.”
Both women – ages 24 and 28 – were discovered with knife wounds to the neck (although that doesn’t begin to describe the horrible nature of the attack shown in the video), and the Danish prime minister has declared the slayings “bestial,” according to BBC. Outrage is growing worldwide, with the Moroccan government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi, describing the killings to the Guardian as a “criminal and terrorist act.”
In contrast, friends and loved ones remembered the women’s positive personalities. A friend of Jespersen’s described how her “enthusiasm for life was only matched by her unforgettable laughter.”
Multiple Suspects Are Under Arrest
According to VG, police arrested multiple men in connection with the slayings. The suspects’ names are Abdessamad Ejjoud, Younes Ouaziad, Rachid El Afati, and Khayali Abderrahmane, ABC News reports, with Abderrahmane alleged to be the main suspect with ties to the Islamic State.
BT, which is a Danish news site, reported that Moroccan authorities “have stated that the case is being investigated as terrorism. The video and preliminary investigation, according to the Moroccan authorities, point out that the killings may be related to the terrorist organization IS.”
BT noted that “one person arrested in the case has a connection with a terrorist group” although Moroccan media had previously said there were four suspects and all might have Islamic State ties. Authorities said on December 20, 2018 that they had four suspects in custody, although some news stories put the number of suspects at three. One of the suspects is a carpenter and one a salesman.
Seized evidence includes “four long knives, one of which still had traces of blood, a small prayer book, stones and a slingshot and three mobile phones,” ABC News reports.
“The video and preliminary investigation according to the Moroccan authorities indicate that the killings may be related to the terrorist organization Islamic State,” the intelligence service of Denmark said.