A tiny detail has given away the villagers: They have known from the very beginning that Narin was dead.

The investigation into the murder of 8-year-old Narin Güran, whose lifeless body was found in the bed of Eğertutmaz Stream 19 days after she went missing on August 21 in the Tavşantepe neighborhood of the Bağlar district in Diyarbakır, is ongoing. While 12 people, including family members, have been arrested in connection with the murder, a striking claim has emerged.

NOBODY IN NARIN'S VILLAGE ACCEPTED TO SPEAK

According to a senior security official who spoke to DW Turkish, the gendarmerie teams that initiated the search for Narin after her disappearance suspected the little girl's family from the very beginning. The teams offered a witness protection program with a guarantee for the safety of those detained. However, nobody in the village accepted this offer.

"THEY KNEW SHE WAS MURDERED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING"

The senior official also stated that everyone in the village knew from the very beginning that Narin had been killed. The security officer said, "While we were searching for Narin, they knew she was dead. The family persistently hid this. We understood that Narin was no longer alive before we reached the body. Because the women gathered in front of Narin's house were reciting Yasin."

WHAT HAPPENED?

On August 21, when Narin Güran did not return home after attending a Quran course in the Tavşantepe neighborhood of the Bağlar district, her family searched for her on their own. When they could not find her, Narin's father, Arif Güran, reported his daughter missing around 8:00 PM on the same day. Following this, a large number of search and rescue teams were dispatched to the area, and searches were conducted in the houses in the neighborhood and in vehicles entering the village.

While the search efforts were ongoing, Narin Güran's older brother, E.G. (18), was detained due to bite marks on his arm. In the examination at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute, since it could not be determined whether the bite marks belonged to Narin, E.G. was released.

Subsequently, Narin's uncle, who is also the village headman of rural Tavşantepe, Salim Güran, was detained. It was determined that the DNA samples taken from his vehicle matched the DNA samples found on Narin's clothes, and Salim Güran was arrested for 'intentional murder' and 'deprivation of liberty.'

Teams that previously focused on searched areas intensified their efforts and worked in the Eğertutmaz Stream, located 2 kilometers away from the neighborhood, where Narin's lifeless body was found on the 19th day. It was determined that Narin had been thrown into the stream in a sack and that her body was covered with stones.