Investigators believe murder of gorgeous Scandinavian backpackers was 'sexually motivated'; 3 jihadis given death penalty.

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2018/12/19/investigators-believe-murder-of-backpackers-was-sexually-motivated/

Investigators believe murder of gorgeous Scandinavian backpackers was ‘sexually motivated’
By Patrick Knox, The Sun
December 19, 2018 | 12:41pm

Maren Ueland, left, and Louisa Jespersen. Facebook

Detectives investigating the horrific slaughter of two Scandinavian backpackers in their tent in Morocco believe it was sexually motivated.

It’s thought the three suspects from nearby Marrakech may have stalked Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Norway and Maren Ueland, 28, from Denmark, before attacking them while they slept on Monday.

The women were found in and outside the tent. One had been decapitated, while the other had a serious throat wound.

But police source told Morocco World News the murder investigation has excluded robbery as the motive because none of the victims’ belongings were missing.

Rather, sexual assault may have been the motive for the crime at a spot six miles from the remote mountain village of Imlil, near the foot of Mount Toubkal, north Africa’s highest peak.

It has emerged that the suspects were camped 600 meters (less than half a mile) from Louisa and Maren.

It is alleged after committing the murders they fled, leaving their tent in which was a forgotten ID of one of the arrested men.

The suspects were also filmed on CCTV moving towards the spot where the women were camping.

They are now being hauled back to the scene of the crime to explain how the killings happened, according to a source.

A source told Morocco World News: “The suspects were camping in the same area that the murder took place.

“Witnesses saw the group at night as they were heading to the camp area.”

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/05/31/leade...heading-backpacker-in-isis-inspired-slayings/

Leader of jihadist cell admits to beheading backpacker in ISIS-inspired slayings
By Jackie Salo
May 31, 2019 | 9:42am | Updated

Maren Ueland (left) and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen
Facebook

The suspected leader of a jihadist cell accused of butchering two Scandinavian backpackers in Morocco confessed to beheading one of the women.

Abdessamad Ejjoud, 25, told a Moroccan court Thursday that he carried out the murder to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State, the BBC reported.

“I beheaded one of them … I regret it,” Ejjoud said before accusing his co-defendant Younes Ouaziyad of killing the other hiker.

Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, were beheaded Dec. 17 in a tent near Mount Toubkal, one of Morocco’s highest peaks.

The women — who were roommates at Norway’s Bo University — had traveled to the High Atlas mountains on a Christmas camping trip, according to BBC.

Disturbing footage of the hikers’ slayings reportedly was shared widely on social media by ISIS supporters.

Authorities said the group was inspired by ISIS but had no contact with the extremist group.

“We loved IS and we prayed to God for it,” Ejjoud told the court.

Ejjoud and two dozen other defendants are on trial for terrorism-related charges.

The three main suspects — including Ejjoud — are accused of having a direct hand in the hikers’ murders and could face the death penalty.

 

[Arheel's Uncle]

Murders of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Morocco hikers: Three get death penalty for Scandinavian tourist murders

They killed two Scandinavian women, who were found beheaded in the Atlas mountains in December.

www.bbc.com

 

[Arheel's Uncle]

Morocco trial nears end for 24 suspects in killing of Scandinavian hikers

Prosecutors have called for the death penalty for the three main extremist suspects

www.thenationalnews.com

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Morocco trial nears end for 24 suspects in killing of Scandinavian hikers​

Prosecutors have called for the death penalty for the three main extremist suspects​

Agence France Presse

Jul 11, 2019


Powered by automated translation

The trial of the suspected extremist killers of two Scandinavian women hikers beheaded in Morocco's High Atlas mountains last December neared its close on Thursday as lawyers prepared to deliver their final arguments.
Prosecutors have called for the death penalty for the three main militant suspects behind the "bloodthirsty" murder of the young Scandinavians.
The maximum sentence was sought for 25-year-old suspected ringleader Abdessamad Ejjoud and two radicalised Moroccans, although the country has had a de facto freeze on executions since 1993.
Petitions on social media have called for their execution.


The three admitted to killing Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland.
The prosecution has called for jail terms of between 15 years and life for the 21 other defendants on trial since May 2 before an anti-terror court in Sale, near Rabat.
The life sentence has been sought for Abderrahim Khayali, a 33-year-old plumber, who had accompanied the three assailants but left the scene before the murders.
The prosecution called for 20 years in jail for Kevin Zoller Guervos, a Spanish-Swiss convert to Islam.

All but three of those on trial had said they were supporters of ISIS, according to the prosecution, although ISIS itself has never claimed responsibility for the murders.
The three killers of the girls were "bloodthirsty monsters", the prosecution said, pointing out that an autopsy report had found 23 injuries on Jespersen's decapitated body and seven on that of Ueland.
Ejjoud, an underground imam, had confessed to beheading one of the girls and Younes Ouaziyad, a 27-year-old carpenter, the other, while Rachid Afatti, 33, had videoed the murders on his mobile.
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Main suspect in Morocco tourist murders admits in court to killings
The defence team said it would call for the judge to take into account extenuating circumstance.
"We will appeal for mitigating circumstances on account of their precarious social conditions and psychological disequilibrium," Hafida Mekessaou told AFP.
Khalid Elfataoui, representing Jespersen's family, said she would read out a "devastating" letter received from the Danish woman's family and demand compensation of 10 million dirhams (just over $1 million) on their behalf.
The Norwegian woman's family has declined to take part in the trial.
Jespersen's lawyers have accused authorities of having failed to monitor the activities of some of the suspects before the two women camped in an isolated mountain area had their throats slit.
The brutal killings could have been spared had authorities heeded information on the behaviour of street vendor Ejjoud, they said.
The alleged ringleader who had been convicted for trying to join ISIS in Syria was released early from prison in 2015 and went on to meet former inmates and other individuals without checks by authorities, attorney Khaled El Fataoui said.
He alleged police had been informed of the activities of the group of men from an underprivileged background but failed to act.
Lawyer Houssine Raji added the suspects met in Koranic schools run by cleric Mohamed Al Maghraoui, which had been shut in 2010 under a court decision but ordered reopened in 2012 by the justice minister.
Investigators have said the "cell" was inspired by IS ideology, but Morocco's anti-terror chief insisted the accused had no contact with the militant group in conflict zones.