Preliminary autopsy report for Elif Kumal, found in a pond in Balıkesir, released! Cause of death determined
The preliminary autopsy of Elif Kumal, who was found dead inside her vehicle in a pond in the Erdek district of Balıkesir, has determined that her death was caused by drowning. No signs of sharp force or gunshot wounds were found.
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The lifeless body of 34-year-old Elif Kumal, who had been missing for 8 days in the Erdek district of Balıkesir, was found inside her car in the Yukarıyapıcı Pond. The autopsy of Kumal's body has been completed, and initial examinations determined that she died as a result of drowning. The initial assessment by the Forensic Medicine Institute found no signs of any sharp object or gunshot wounds on Kumal.
It was learned that the young woman will be laid to rest in the Bandırma district. The findings indicated that there were no signs of external interference in Elif Kumal's death.
Elif Kumal had gone camping on December 27 within the borders of the Yukarıyapıcı Pond on the Kapıdağ Peninsula with her boyfriend, Enis G., and another friend. The following day, Enis G. reported her missing to the 112 Emergency Call Center, stating that Kumal had left the campsite in her vehicle during the night following an argument between the two. Following the incident, security teams examined camera footage in the region; however, no record was found indicating that Kumal had driven her vehicle toward Erdek or Bandırma.
Following the missing person report, the Erdek District Gendarmerie launched an extensive search. The search efforts were supported by AFAD, gendarmerie commando teams, and search and rescue volunteers from neighboring provinces. The region was scanned in detail both from the ground and the air. During the searches, which also utilized technological equipment, a Side Scan Sonar (SSS) device detected Kumal's vehicle 25 meters offshore in the pond at a depth of approximately 10 meters. Divers reached Elif Kumal's lifeless body in the driver's seat of the car.
During the initial examination conducted while the car was being removed from the pond, it was observed that the driver's side window was half-open and the front tires were flat. Crime scene investigation teams conducted a detailed study.
Elif Kumal's relatives and the individuals connected to the incident, Enis G. and a friend named Yavuz, were released under judicial control conditions after their procedures in custody, as there was no concrete evidence regarding the missing person case. The investigation into the incident is being continued by the Erdek Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Kumal's funeral will be held today at the time of the afternoon prayer (ikindi) in the Doğu neighborhood of the Bandırma district.
Elif Kumal's sister-in-law, Fatma Kumal, had stated on the seventh day of the disappearance, "She called me, and while communicating with me, she said that Elif told her, 'The car doors are locked.' What should he have done? Shouldn't he have mobilized all the gendarmerie and police? When did I get the news? 11:23. The news reached the police stations around 12:00, after 12:00. There was battery, there was gunfire into the air, we have witnesses. I am the one who was told the car doors were locked. How many reasons can I list to you for why there should have been panic? I am listing a bunch of crimes."