Convicted Fugitive Wanted for Murder Caught Through Social Media Videos

Şükrü Akçay, who was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for the murder of shepherd Musa Çelik in Mardin and whose sentence was finalized by the Supreme Court of Appeals, was caught in an operation organized by the police in Adana after reaching millions of views on social media accounts he opened under a different name.

Background of the Incident and Murder Case

In an incident that broke out on November 21, 2021, due to a debt dispute between two families in the Çamyurt neighborhood of Mardin's Midyat district, shepherd Musa Çelik was shot and killed with a long-barreled weapon.

Şükrü Akçay, who was the head security village guard at the time, and his brothers were detained by gendarmerie teams in line with witness statements and included in the trial process.

Court Rulings and Supreme Court Process

As a result of the case heard in the Midyat Heavy Penal Court, Şükrü Akçay received a prison sentence of 12.5 years for intentional homicide. In the same case, his brother Veysi Akçay was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for armed threat, while M.A. was acquitted.

After Akçay, who was released from prison for a period to be tried without detention, had his sentence upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeals, an arrest warrant was issued for him.

Became a Phenomenon on Social Media Under the Name 'Şirin Akçay'

Fleeing his prison sentence, instead of trying to hide his identity, Şükrü Akçay started sharing videos by opening social media accounts under a different name. The convict, who used the name 'Şirin Akçay' on TikTok, reached millions of views with his videos.

It was observed that many of the videos on the accounts, where he posed on a sofa, produced content accompanied by various music tracks and profound quotes, were viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

Capture Operation at a House in Adana

Teams from the Provincial Police Department's Public Security Branch Murder Bureau tracked the fugitive convict down in Adana. Around 200 hours of security camera footage were analyzed for Akçay, who was determined to be hiding in a house in the Yeşilyurt neighborhood of Seyhan district.

Şükrü Akçay, who was caught as a result of the operation carried out, was referred to the courthouse after the completion of his procedures at the police station and was subsequently sent to prison.