06.07.2026 18:11
The trial of 5 defendants, including 2 arrested suspects, began in connection with the murder of Mihriban Yılmaz (26), whose body was found buried in the ground in Izmir. The courtroom fell silent after defendant Fatih İnan's confession: "I buried her in a place where pigs dig."
In the incident that occurred in Ümit Neighborhood, connected to Bornova district of Izmir, on December 29, 2025, according to allegations, Mihriban Yılmaz, who lived with her family, left home in the evening and went to her relatives nearby. After staying there for a while, Yılmaz left, saying, 'I will meet someone.'
After this date, her family, who could not hear from her, filed a missing person report. Police determined that on the day of the incident, around 20:30, Yılmaz went to an empty plot on 7309 Street and got into a pickup truck waiting for her there. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Fatih İnan.
CONFESSED MURDER DURING POLICE INTERROGATION
It was determined that the suspect lived in the same building as Yılmaz's relatives. On January 11, police detained Fatih İnan, R.Ç. (34), R.Ç. (32), H.İ. (37), and Ö.İ. (25). During interrogation by Homicide Bureau detectives, İnan confessed to his crime. He stated that he strangled Yılmaz to death and buried her body in the forest. İnan, accompanied by police, showed the spot where he buried the body. During the examination of the area, Yılmaz's lifeless body was found. After processing at the police station, the suspects were referred to the courthouse; Fatih İnan was arrested, and the others were released under judicial control.
SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE EMERGED
Meanwhile, Fatih İnan's brother, Ömer İnan, was also taken into custody on January 16. Ömer İnan was stated to have participated in his brother Fatih İnan's 'Intentional killing' act as an 'aider'. It was reported that the evidence in the case file, where their mobile phones were examined, has not yet been fully collected and new suspects may be added. Ömer İnan was arrested by the court on the same day after being referred to the courthouse on the grounds of 'strong criminal suspicion of having committed the alleged crime'.
Security camera footage regarding Mihriban Yılmaz's death emerged. The footage shows Fatih İnan leaving Ümit Neighborhood with his pickup truck and entering the forest road. It was reported that İnan advanced about 10 kilometers on the forest road with the pickup truck and buried Yılmaz's body in the ground.
PROSECUTOR'S OBJECTION LED TO LAWSUIT
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Naile Büşra Sarıgül, who worked as an occupational safety specialist at a factory in Yunusemre district of Manisa, died on August 3, 2023, after falling from a height, and that DNA samples taken from Sarıgül showed sperm samples belonging to Fatih İnan. It was learned that a 'No need for prosecution' decision was made for İnan, stating that the death occurred due to a heart attack. Following this development, the investigating prosecutor requested the revocation of the 'No need for prosecution' decision regarding Sarıgül's death.
INDICTMENT PREPARED
In the indictment prepared after the investigation, it was requested that Fatih İnan be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of 'Premeditated murder with monstrous intent or torture' and up to 12 years in prison for the crime of 'Aggravated sexual assault'. For the other defendants, Ömer İnan, R.Ç., and his wife R.Ç., aggravated life imprisonment was sought for 'Participation in crime'. For H.İ., the uncle of Fatih İnan who owned the vehicle used in the incident, a prison sentence of up to 20 years was requested for 'Aiding the crime'.
COURTROOM FROZE AFTER CONFESSION
Today, the trial of the defendants began at the Izmir 23rd Heavy Penal Court. The hearing was attended by the arrested İnan brothers and unarrested defendants, as well as Mihriban Yılmaz's family and lawyers.
At the hearing, the first to speak was the arrested defendant Fatih İnan. Denying the charges against him, İnan said, 'We had not met before. She sent me a friend request on social media. After a while, we decided to meet. She threatened me through our messages. While trying to take the phone from her hand, she started screaming, and I covered her mouth with my hand. I did not realize she had lost breath. As far as I know, I performed CPR. I could not believe she was dead. Then I buried her in a place where wild boars had been digging.'
Defendant İnan's final words were chilling.
The other arrested defendant, Ömer İnan, requested his release. The unarrested defendants who spoke at the hearing denied the charges against them.
Mihriban's mother, Sevim Yılmaz, and father, Fehmi Yılmaz, who were given the floor during the session, reacted to the defendants and requested that they be punished in the harshest manner.
1 DEFENDANT RELEASED
After the defenses and statements, the interim decision was announced. The panel, which decided to continue Fatih İnan's arrest, ruled that Ömer İnan be released under judicial control. The panel decided to request a mental health report for Fatih İnan from the Manisa Mental Health and Diseases Hospital, resolved to address the deficiencies in the case file, and adjourned the hearing.