Rania Alayed: Police release new statement amid fresh search for remains of mum-of-three murdered by husband

A search for the body of a mum-of-three who was murdered by her husband 11 years ago resumed this week after 'new information' came to light.

Rania Alayed, 25, was killed by her partner Ahmed Al-Khatib in an orchestrated 'honour killing' in June 2013 - but her body has never been recovered.

Al-Khatib murdered the mum at his brother's flat in Salford, before beginning a deception aimed at convincing her family and friends that she was still alive.

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At the time, Al-Khatib said he had buried her between trees near the A19 in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Just weeks before she became the victim of the honour killing in 2013, Rania expressed her fears that her husband would kill her.

The trial, held in 2014, heard Rania was subjected to years of domestic and sexual violence and then killed when she found the courage to ‘break free of her husband's shackles'.

In October 2023, a fresh search began in an area of land off the A19 to locate her body involving CSI and specialist search teams.

And a year later, on Wednesday (November 13), police were seen in attendance at the side of the main road near Northallerton. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed the activity was part of their investigations into the death and whereabouts of Ms Alayed.

The force confirmed the fresh search had resumed after 'new information came to light'. It is understood the search efforts did not continue on Thursday (November 14).

In a new statement, Greater Manchester Police said detectives 'remain committed' to finding Rania's burial location and recovering her body, and will do 'all they can' to find her and 'bring closure to her loved ones'.

"In June 2013, Rania Alayad was murdered by her husband Ahmed Al Khatib. He was convicted of her murder in June 2014 and sentenced to life imprisonment," a spokesperson for the force said.

"We remain committed to pursuing all opportunities in order to identify Rania’s burial location and recovering her body, and in recent months, new information came to light which has led to some police activity in the North Yorkshire area. Disruption to the local community will be/ was kept to a minimum, with no wider risk or threat to the public.

"We continue to do all we can to find Rania and we will act on all available lines of enquiry when it is possible to do so to help bring some form of closure to her loved ones eleven years on."

Al-Khatib was sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years in prison for the murder of his wife. His brother Muhanned Al-Khatib, of Salford, was found not guilty of murder but had already admitted perverting the course of justice by hiding Rania's body. He was jailed for three years.

A third brother Hussain Al-Khatib, of Gorton, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for four years.