Ozgur DengizTurkish serial killer and cannibal
Country: Turkey
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Biography of Ozgur Dengiz
Ozgur Dengiz, also known as the "Ankara Cannibal," is a Turkish serial killer and cannibal who confessed to the murder of two people, attempted murder, and cannibalism in one of his victims. Born in 1980, Dengiz is the son of Satilmis, an ex-soldier and veteran of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and Sultan, a seamstress. He had a strained relationship with his parents and frequently ran away from home.
After completing school, Dengiz did not pursue higher education and instead stopped at this level of education. At the age of 17, he killed one of his friends during an argument, resulting in his reduced sentence of 10 years due to his young age. His father was one of the individuals who turned him in to the police. Dengiz served 3 years in prison and was released on parole. At his father's insistence, he joined the armed forces. However, he was repeatedly hospitalized during his military service due to psychological problems.
After leaving the military, Dengiz returned to Ankara, where his mother opened a tailor shop for him. However, he showed no interest in the business.
Crimes and Arrest
On June 5, 2007, Dengiz killed Sedat Erzurumlu, a computer engineer, during an argument over the affordability of a laptop. Dengiz stole two laptops from a store and also took the victim's mobile phone. He attempted to sell one of the computers but was deceived and left with no money. He kept the second laptop at home.
On September 12, 2007, Dengiz rifled through garbage at a landfill and discovered Cafer Er, a 55-year-old municipal worker, whom he shot twice in the head and dragged into his car. Dengiz then used a large knife to remove the victim's skin, ate some parts of the body raw, and put the rest in his bag. He placed the wrapped body in the trunk and dumped it at the landfill before returning home, where he lived with his parents. He shared a piece of the meat with stray dogs and kept the remaining portion in the refrigerator.
Cafer Er was reported missing for several days until his body was found at the landfill. The investigation revealed that he had been killed, his body mutilated, and large chunks of flesh cut from the soft parts. The police traced Dengiz through phone calls he made using the stolen phone. During a search of his apartment, a fresh piece of meat wrapped in a plastic bag was found in the refrigerator. Analysis confirmed that the flesh was from human hands, buttocks, and thighs.
Trial and Public Reaction
During questioning, Dengiz showed no remorse for his crimes and expressed an irresistible desire to taste human flesh. Reports indicate that the only emotion that emerged from him was fits of laughter when discussing his behavior. He also claimed that if he had buried the body, he would never have been caught. Dengiz was arrested and awaited trial. His crimes sparked public outrage in Turkey, where cannibalism is almost unheard of and rarely mentioned, likely due to strong cultural taboos. Fazile Zahir, a Turkish-Cypriot journalist, states that cannibalism is prevalent in serial murder cases in Christian countries but that the taboos of Islam against meat obtained against halal principles and the belief that humans are sacred, resembling God, may have influenced the absence of cannibalism in Turkey. Dengiz appears to be the first cannibal in Turkey and perhaps one of the few psychopaths.