A woman in Germany, identified as Shahraban K., stands accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme that led to the murder of a beauty-blogger lookalike. It is alleged that Shahraban and her boyfriend, Sheqir K., targeted blogger Khadidja O. due to her striking resemblance—both sharing dark hair and complexion resembling Shahraban’s features.
According to prosecutors, Shahraban found her doppelgänger on social media and conspired with her boyfriend to stage a fake death by inflicting 50 stab wounds upon Khadidja O., specifically targeting her face. The intention behind these actions was purportedly to deceive investigators more easily.
The court in Ingolstadt, Bavaria State heard how the couple believed they could pass off their victim’s body as Shahraban’s own in order for her to escape from her strict Iraqi family. Prosecutors revealed that the killers had been contacting random girls on social media who bore sufficient resemblance to convince coroners.
State prosecutor Veronika Grieser stated: “We have determined that the female suspect had decided to go into hiding due to family-internal arguments…She wanted to fake her own death and start a new life.”
The tragic events unfolded when the murderers contacted Khadidja under false pretenses via social media, offering her participation in a video for German rapper Lune. Using a fake account named ‘lunee.officiel,’ they enticed their victim by saying she didn’t need much effort and asked for secrecy until the song’s release.
Growing suspicious, Khadidja reached out directly through official channels only two days later. Lune responded confirming it was all a sham: “It’s fake, sis. Don’t reply!”
Undeterred, the defendants used another Instagram account this time, offering a free beauty treatment in exchange for social media promotion. They arranged to meet Khadidja in her hometown of Eppingen and picked her up in a Mercedes. However, upon reaching Ingolstadt, they forced Khadidja out of the car into a forest where she was struck on the head and stabbed 56 times.
Her body was then placed back inside the vehicle, which was later found abandoned near Shahraban’s residence by Khadidja’s distraught parents. Initially misidentified as Shahraban K., suspicions arose during an autopsy leading to the correct identification of the victim.
Prosecutors believe Shahraban K wanted to run away from trouble at home. “After the investigation, it can be assumed that she wanted to go into hiding due to internal family disputes and fake her own death,” Veronika Grieser of the Ingolstadt public prosecutor’s office told German newspaper Bild.
Shahraban K reportedly told her family she was going to Ingolstadt to meet her ex-husband. After she did not return her parents travelled to the city to search for her and on 16 August found her Mercedes near the Danube river close to Sheqir K’s flat.
Following forensic examinations and investigations into social media and mobile phone records, prosecutors have charged Shahraban and Sheqir with murder after extensive DNA checks. The trial is set to commence soon with plans to question 190 witnesses.
Both defendants are currently held in custody but have not made any statements or commented on the allegations thus far.
