Ali Kaya

Case details

Ali Kaya was a Turkish serial killer. He was nicknamed "The Babyface Killer" (Turkish: Bebek yüzlü katil). He was also described as "The Beast of Izmir" by reference to Ayhan Kartal (Turkish: İzmir canavarı).

Timeline

• 1997 — Ali Kaya stabbed his uncle Celal Kaya to death while working at his real estate office in Alanya; he received a five-year aggravated imprisonment sentence in Silifke Prison.
• 1999 — Kaya was released on parole.
• 2000 — In the night of 13 March 2000, Kaya murdered his roommate Ayhan Kartal together with Tayfun Şahin by stabbing him in the throat and the stomach; after this crime, Kaya was nicknamed "The Babyface Killer" (Turkish: Bebek yüzlü katil).
• 2001 — Kaya was arrested and placed in Şanlıurfa Prison.
• 2003 — Kaya escaped from the semi-open prison in Şanlıurfa.
• 2004 — Kaya was apprehended in 2004 when a suspicious vehicle was stopped in the village of Mahmutlar, Alanya; he possessed a fake ID card on the name Erdal Yılmaz and a long death list was found on him.
• November 2013 — Kaya was captured in November 2013 by the Turkish Gendarmerie forces after a fierce shootout.
• 5 January 2014 — Kaya managed to escape for a second time during visitation hours at 10:30 local time on Sunday from Gaziantep Prison with the crowd; the break was noticed only during the physical presence check in the evening.
• 3 March 2014 — Kaya was captured by security forces in downtown Gaziantep as he was fleeing from the house of a friend; he was in possession of a handgun and a death list of ten persons, and he was brought back to the prison he had escaped from.
• 2002 — Kaya was responsible for ten murders between 1997 and 2002.

The offence

Ali Kaya was responsible for ten murders between 1997 and 2002.

Kaya stabbed his uncle Celal Kaya to death while working at his real estate office in Alanya in 1997.

In the period after his parole, Kaya killed Zeynel Abidin Gümüş, whom he believed had sexually assaulted his mother.

On free foot, Kaya stabbed three people in Alanya, including:

• a music hall owner called "Dedo",
• a procurer called "Mehmet of Ağrı",
• Fırat S., of which two died later.

Kaya killed two wardens of Alanya prison—Kemal Aksakal and Hasan Askeroğlu—by stabbing them on the street.

In the night of 13 March 2000, Kaya murdered his roommate, the rapist and child killer Ayhan Kartal (nicknamed "The Beast of Izmir" (Turkish: İzmir canavarı)), together with Tayfun Şahin by stabbing him in the throat and the stomach.

After his release, Kaya killed Mehmet Poyraz, who lived in his parental home in Gaziantep.

Investigation and medical/psychiatric issues

During his incarceration at Elazığ Prison, Kaya was diagnosed with a "mental disorder". He was transferred to a psychiatric hospital, from where he was released due to a report attesting him as having claustrophobia.

Kaya was placed in Manisa Psychiatric Hospital on the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

Because he had a psychiatric report, Kaya was not detained during his trial.

Kaya was described as extremely dangerous by authorities, and police and gendarmerie forces launched an extensive manhunt for his capture.

An investigation found that Kaya went to Adana and Mersin, and had plans to cross the Syrian border.

Arrest and custody events

Kaya was sentenced to five-year aggravated imprisonment in Silifke Prison for the 1997 killing of his uncle Celal Kaya.

In 1999, Kaya was released on parole.

Kaya was transferred and released from a psychiatric hospital after a report attesting him as having claustrophobia.

Kaya was arrested in 2001 and placed in Şanlıurfa Prison.

In 2003, Kaya escaped from the semi-open prison in Şanlıurfa.

In 2004, Kaya was apprehended when a suspicious vehicle was stopped in the village of Mahmutlar, Alanya; he possessed a fake ID card on the name Erdal Yılmaz. A long death list was found on him, which included the names of notable businessmen and people he claims to have abused him during his childhood.

Kaya was captured by the Turkish Gendarmerie forces in November 2013 after a fierce shootout.

On 5 January 2014, during visitation hours at 10:30 local time on Sunday, Kaya apparently walked out of Gaziantep Prison with the crowd; the break was noticed only during the physical presence check in the evening.

Kaya was captured by security forces in downtown Gaziantep on 3 March 2014 as he was fleeing from the house of a friend. He was in possession of a handgun and a death list of ten persons as he was apprehended, and he was brought back to the prison he had escaped from.

Outcome

Kaya remained a serial killer described as being responsible for ten murders between 1997 and 2002, with multiple imprisonments and escapes, including escapes from Şanlıurfa in 2003 and from Gaziantep Prison on 5 January 2014, followed by capture on 3 March 2014.

Other details

Kaya stated in his interrogation: "He would confront his enemies and the sinners. He was not successful so far. However, he would clean the society from bad people".