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A Turkish man has been accused of murdering his seven-months-pregnant wife so that he could claim her life insurance, police say.
Hakan Aysal, 40, was arrested after police say he threw his wife Semra Aysal, 32, and their unborn baby off of a 1,000-foot cliff in June 2018 while vacationing in Butterfly Valley in Mugla, Turkey, according to The Sun.
The outlet, citing court documents, reported that Hakan Aysal pushed his wife off of the cliff after they posed for a few selfies. The 32-year-old and her unborn child died instantly, The Sun continued.
Prosecutors are accusing Hakan Aysal of murdering his wife so that he could cash in on her life insurance — which he attempted to take out following her death, The Sun said. He was later denied the money due to a police investigation, The Sun continued.
The Fethiye High Criminal Court has ruled that Hakan Aysal be remanded in custody for premeditated murder, according to the publication.
The investigation is ongoing.
Here’s what you need to know:
Prosecutors Said the Couple Sat Atop the Cliff for 3 Hours so That Hakan Aysal Could Make Sure No One Was Around
According to prosecutors, Hakan Aysal sat atop the cliff with his wife for three hours in order to ensure that no one else was around, The Sun reported.
“As soon as he realized they were alone, he deliberately killed her by pushing her off the cliff, according to prosecutors,” the publication said.
However, The Sun reported that the 40-year-old denied pushing Semra Aysal off of the slope.
“After taking a photo, my wife put the phone in her bag,” he said, according to The Sun. “Later she asked me to give her the phone. I got up and then heard my wife scream behind me when I walked a few steps away to get the phone from her bag.”
“When I turned back, she was not there. I did not push my wife,” he continued, The Sun said.
Hakan Aysal Tried to Collect on a Life Insurance Policy Worth 400,000 Turkish Lira, Which Is Roughly Equal to $57,000
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Hakan Aysal later attempted to collect on his wife’s life insurance policy, which was worth 400,000 Turkish lira — or roughly $57,000, Fox News reported.
The 40-year-old claimed that he had life insurance prior to his marriage because he was interested in “extreme sports,” The Sun said.
“I have been interested in extreme sports since 2014 — parachute, bungee jumping, rafting,” Hakan Aysal said, according to the publication. “That is why I had life insurance before I got married.”
When asked about the article in the insurance that deemed him the heir if his wife died, he claimed he did not “examine the policy much,” The Sun reported.
“The banker arranged the paperwork,” Hakan Aysal claimed, The Sun disclosed. “I just brought it to my wife to get it signed. I was not aware that there was such an article.”
Semra Aysal’s Brother Said Hakan Aysal Didn’t Show Any Emotion Following His Sister’s Death
During a video interview in court, Naim Yolcu, Semra Aysal’s brother, said his brother-in-law did not appear to be upset following his sister’s death, The Sun reported.
“When we went to the Forensic Medicine Institute to get the body, Hakan was sitting in the car,” he recalled during the video interview, according to The Sun.
“My family and I were destroyed, but Hakan did not even appear sad,” he added, The Sun continued.
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