‘Doppelganger killer’ arrested carrying designer handbag of lookalike ‘she had disfigured to start new life with lover’
A DOPPELGANGER killer accused of disfiguring her lookalike to start a new life with her lover was allegedly arrested carrying her victim’s designer handbag.
The alleged killer, named only as 24-year-old Shahraban K.B. because of local privacy laws, was even wearing her 23-year-old beauty blogger victim’s top.
With the help of her love Sheqir, also 24, it’s claimed she murdered the victim, named only as Khadidja O., in order to fake her own death.
The pair have been accused of stabbing their victim more than 50 times after luring her to a meeting in August 2022 and are now on trial in Germany for murder.
Shahraban had wanted to escape her strict Iraqi family to start a new life with Sheqir by making them think she was dead by finding the body of her doppelganger in her car.
It is claimed the couple had contacted lookalike girls on social media similar enough to Shahraban that might pass for her when dead.
Shahraban and Sheqir had only met a few days before she persuaded him to help with the murder, before text messages revealed they made differing plans soon after, according to prosecutors.
While Shahraban started to panic and contacted friends to see if she could get a fake passport, Sheqir had made plans to flee to Luxembourg.
When police started closing in and arrested Shahraban, she was wearing her victims top and carrying her designer handbag.
An examination of the body of the victim found her DNA as further evidence that she was involved in the crime.
Both Shahraban and Sheqir are facing murder charges at Ingolstadt District Court, in the state of Bavaria.
The defence is currently requesting a delay in proceedings after new evidence came to light from house searches.
When Khadidja was told she had won the beauty contest and accepted the role, Shahraban and Sheqir fixed a meeting in Eppingen, the victim’s hometown, and picked her up in a Mercedes.
State Prosecutor Veronika Grieser said: “They drove towards Ingolstadt but asked the 23-year-old to get out of the car in a forest.
“She was hit on the head at least once and then stabbed 56 times.”
The killers then put their victim’s body back into the car and abandoned the vehicle just a few blocks from where Shahraban lived in Ingolstadt.
Her horrified parents discovered the victim’s body in the Mercedes later that day and were convinced it was their daughter.
The pair were only caught after an autopsy discovered the victim’s tattoos which revealed her true identity.
Jury chairman Konrad Kliegt from the Ingolstadt District Court revealed that the trial is likely to run until the end of June.
Court officials say 190 witnesses will give evidence, and both defendants will be represented by four lawyers each.
The pair face further charges of attempted incitement to murder for hiring a hitman to kill Sheqir’s brother for €10,000 (£8,238).
Prosecutors will also present evidence from an abandoned broken phone ditched by Shahraban, which is said to show the shocking depth of the cruel deception.
The victim’s father will reportedly also take part in the proceedings as a co-plaintiff linked to the prosecution.
The horrific tale began on August 9, 2022, when the disturbed couple sent a message to Khadidja offering her a chance to appear in a rap video.
Khadidja became suspicious, however, and messaged the rapper they claimed to be representing – and she was told the message was fake.
Just two days later, the defendants persisted, and went on to use another Instagram account to get in touch.
Prosecutor Grieser said: “This time, they offered a beauty treatment which would come free of charge if their victim advertised it on social media.”
Police alleged that Shahraban approached an estimated five women on social media as she shopped around for her victim.
