A woman in Germany has been sentenced to life in prison after brutally murdering a lookalike in a chilling and twisted plot to fake her own death.
In one of the country’s most bizarre and gripping murder cases, 25-year-old beautician Schahraban K. and her alleged accomplice, Sheqir K brutally killed beauty blogger Khadidja O., 23, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Schahraban.
Sheqir K., 26, also received a life sentence.
At the end of a year-long trial, Ingolstadt Regional Court heard the innocent victim was cruelly lured into a car with the promise of free beauty treatment.
But the journey ended in a remote wooded area where she was viciously attacked.
Evidence revealed poor Khadidja was stabbed 56 times in the chest, head, neck, and face.
The cold-blooded killers then placed her body in the boot of Shahraban’s car, planning to pass the victim off as Shahraban to deceive her family.
Forensic examinations identified the victim, exposing the diabolical plot.
ALLEGED KILLER: Shahraban K (pictured). and boyfriend Sheqir K. – are accused of specially selecting blogger Khadidja O. because of her striking resemblance to Shahraban and killing her in what could have been a black magic ritual
VICTIM: Prosecutors said the couple aimed many of the slashes and stab wounds at Khadidja O’s face (pictured), apparently to make it easier to fool any investigation into her death
Sheqir K, 24, has been charged with murder
Shahraban had scoured social media for weeks, hunting for a lookalike, before finding Khadidja.
The case sparked outrage across Germany for its callousness and premeditation.
Leyla D., the victim’s best friend, attended the trial and described Khadidja as ‘loving and friendly.’
‘She was by far the person with the biggest heart,’ Leyla said. ‘She took care of me, and I can’t explain how anyone could do this to her.’
Rawan N., the defendant’s ex-partner, shared his fears after being falsely accused of involvement. ‘Her family portrayed me as her killer,’ he said.
Rawan also described even receiving death threats in Iraq after the accusation.
‘Today I will not let myself be blackmailed.’
The defence argued for acquittal, challenging the resemblance between the defendant and victim.
VICTIM: Algerian beauty blogger Khadidja O (pictured) was stabbed 50 times in the German city of Ingolstadt, her face completely disfigured from the number of stab wounds
But the court dismissed this claim outright, concluding the crime was meticulously planned.
Investigators had previously suggested that Khadidja may have been sacrificed as part of a twisted black magic ritual, allegedly designed to help Schahraban fake her own death and escape her past life.
In August 16, 2022, Schahraban’s parents discovered what they initially believed to be their daughter’s body in her black Mercedes coupé, parked on a quiet street in Ingolstadt.
Prosecutors said at the time that the couple aimed many of the slashes and stab wounds at Khadidja’s face, apparently to make it easier to fool a investigation.
The parents were then confronted with the welcome news that the body of the young lady, riddled with 56 horrific wounds, was not that of their daughter.
But they then had to learn that their own daughter was now accused of having murdered this young lady.
Schahraban and Sheqir K. were arrested the following day, and authorities allege that Schahraban meticulously planned the murder, targeting Khadidja online due to their striking resemblance.
Prosecutors say the killer couple had been contacting random girls on social media who looked enough like Shahraban K. to convince a coroner.
‘We have determined that the female suspect had decided to go into hiding due to family-internal arguments,’ state prosecutor Veronika Grieser told local media last year, adding: ‘She wanted to fake her own death and start a new life.’
Inside the car, police found two crumpled notes written in Arabic, along with photos of Schahraban’s ex-husband, Rawan K.
According to Rawan, these notes point to black magic, a practice that he claims is sometimes used in Iraq to bring misfortune upon others.
He suggested that the curse could have required a significant sacrifice, raising the possibility that Khadidja’s death was part of an occult ritual.
Khadidja’s resemblance to Schahraban reportedly made her an ideal target for a complex scheme.
According to prosecutors, Schahraban had been searching for a look-alike on Instagram, finding Khadidja and luring her into a deadly trap under the guise of a music video project.
On August 9 2022, the alleged killers sent their victim a message via social media offering her the opportunity to be in a video for German rapper Lune.
The pair – who named their fake account ‘lunee.officiel’ – told her: ‘You don’t have to do much. Would be great to hear from you. Would take place in Offenburg.’
And they added: ‘Must be kept a secret though until the song is released.’
But Khadidja grew suspicious and sent a message to the star’s official account. Lune replied saying: ‘It’s fake, sis. Don’t reply!’
Just two days later, the defendants used 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.’
After securing Khadidja’s trust, they agreed to meet in Eppingen, the victim’s hometown, according to Grieser, where the defendants allegedly drove her in a Mercedes to a secluded forest area fatally attacked her.
But Schahraban’s quest for revenge didn’t stop with Khadidja’s murder.
According to court records, she allegedly paid €5,000 to a contract killer in an attempt to eliminate Rawan’s brother, who had opposed her efforts to reconcile with her ex-husband.
The hit, however, was never carried out. As if that were not enough, Sheqir K., while in custody, reportedly tried to hire a fellow inmate to assassinate witnesses related to the doppelganger case.
The Ingolstadt Regional Court trial, which has more than 190 witnesses lined up, delves into the intricate details of the crime, including DNA analysis and digital evidence.
Now a defense request to involve an esotericism expert to analyze the black magic aspect remains pending, with the trial judge yet to make a ruling on the matter.
Prosecutors, however, argue that the sheer brutality and planning involved point to a much darker motive.
Neither Schahraban or Sheqir K have ever made a statement or commented on the accusations.
