Can social networking be used to help solve a crime?
I started a Facebook group as a social experiment to discover the effectiveness of social networks in providing real-life results to an ongoing investigation. Within 12 hours of the launch of the Facebook group, the group was featured in Norway’s largest daily: Aftenposten (See article here). Four days later, ABC News asked for an interview (page 3 of ABC’s headline news story on the Magnussen incident here). Today, the group is featured on ABC NEWS, London’s Daily Mail, and Norway’s Aftenposten and VG NETT.
The Facebook group relates to a recent murder in London that has destroyed one young life and brought two high profile families into a tragic spotlight. The sensationalizing of the story by the media, coupled with the potential political and diplomatic fallout between Yemen and the UK, is causing a lot of noise that is not helpful in discovering what happened on that fateful morning of Friday March 14.
Martine Vik Magnussen’s body was found early Sunday partly covered by rubble in the basement of a block of flats in Great Portland Street, just north of London’s main shopping area, Oxford Street, and about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from Maddox.
Maddox is the exclusive celebrity club where she had been partying the night before and seen leaving between 2 and 3 AM on Friday with a friend of hers and boarding a taxi.
This friend is Farouk Abdulhak, son of Yemeni billionaire Shaher Abdulhak. He left the UK on Saturday before the body was discovered in the basement of his apartment complex and is now asked to speak with the police to provide any information about Martine’s final hours.
You can read more about the story and see more pictures here, here, and here.
My interest in the case came after I read the news from London. When I searched Facebook for a support group and discovered that no one had created one, I decided that this will be an ideal way to lend some help. Since the victim is a student and many of the people involved are university-aged students, Facebook is an ideal medium to reach a large number of people in that category in a very short period of time. I am surprised that law enforcement agencies don’t frequently utilize this medium for applicable investigations.
I am also a Yemenite by origin. Farouk’s involvement (whether guilty or not) has implicated my home country in a very unpleasant situation. I hope that everyone can understand that the people of Yemen are as adamant about discovering the truth and bringing justice to Martine’s family as anyone else in the UK or Norway.
The full text of the ABC News interview is available in the discussion board of the Facebook group page here. Anyone with information on the murder should contact the Scotland Yard incident room in London UK on 020 8358 0300 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Call Over:
Jenise Hegel:
anonymous:
Boom:
issmat:
Passer by:
leroy:
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‘Issmat’ who on earth are you? Inspector Poirot?
Ask Shaher Abdulhak how many deaths he’s responsible for in Yemen. These Arab millionaires that make their fortunes in Arab nations do it in underhanded ways. While I don’t personally know Shaher Abdulhak, I’m pretty sure he’s as corrupt as every other Yemeni politician/mogul. You just don’t get that rich in Yemen by being morally astute. I read somewhere that Shaher Abdulhak is “politically savvy” in Yemen. What a nice way to call someone a criminal: “He’s a politically savvy Yemeni politician.” This stuff is classic. Nine times out of ten the words ‘politically savvy’ when used together in Yemen usually indicate that your inline with the country’s corruption. Murder is probably a way of life for this family, only this time they bit more than they could chew. This guy must have been an idiot. Did he think he was going to run to Yemen and hide behind Ali Abdullah? Did he think his Kabeela would protect him? I hate to sound like a bigot but the truth is killing Yemenis in Yemen is easy if your rich daddy pays the right people, but killing a white female in Europe will take you to the pen. I love it when I see the children of these Arab political and business criminals get stuck in a place where daddy’s money can only go so far. I’d be willing to bet that the “King of Sugar” would kill a village of women if they competed with his companies in Yemen. However, in Yemen he could pay someone to take care of it. I love it when these two-faced hypocrites who try to have the best of both worlds are forced to choose one. Take this guy Shaher Abdulhak for instance. The Yemeni (while it hurts me to have my land associated with this way of life, the fact of the matter is that for me, a fellow born and bread in NYC, Yemen is the only place I’ve seen this sort of wrongdoing take place so blatantly) way would have him pay off the family and have his son spend the rest of his life in a 3 million Euro mansion in Yemen (a place where he can’t get into any trouble because his father’s money would get him out of killing anyone except anyone richer than his father). However, we must remember that the father lives in the UK, and as such he must conform to a different credo. He cannot buy his way out of this one. What is he to do? He sends his son to Yemen, and then threatens to disown him to please the British. But he takes it back really fast fearing that it might have repercussions in Yemen, a place where a rich father protects his son, even if his son is a murderer. You can’t write this stuff; this stuff is classic I tell you, just classic.
A very detailed article on the subject:
The man wanted for questioning in London over the murder of a Norwegian student could be hiding in his family home in Yemen, the Guardian has learned.
Local reporters were last night outside the high perimeter fence of 21-year-old Farouk Abdulhak’s family mansion in the Hasaba neighbourhood of the capital, Sana’a. Detectives investigating the murder of Martine Vik Magnussen have said they “urgently” need to speak to Abdulhak, the last person to be seen with the 23-year-old student before she was killed. Her semi-naked body was discovered in the basement of his flat two days after she went missing, partially buried beneath rubble.
Several of Magnussen’s personal items – including snakeskin shoes, a pair of Christian Dior earrings and a pair of skinny blue jeans – were missing from the body, indicating her killer may have taken the items with him or her.
The pair left the Maddox nightclub – an exclusive Mayfair nightspot popular with London socialites – around 3am last Friday.
Police said Abdulhak travelled to Yemen on Saturday, the day before Magnussen’s body was found at his West End apartment block. Reports from Yemen suggest he left on a private jet belonging to his father, billionaire businessman Shaher Abdulhak.
A source close to the Abdulhak family said Farouk Abdulhak was believed to be either at his family home in the Yemeni capital, or at another property in a village four hours’ drive away, in the al-Arooq district of the Taiz region.
His father, founder of Shaher Trading, is well known in Yemen. His business empire was founded in the 1960s but stretches across the Middle East, with interests in petroleum, soft drinks, tourism and property.
Though a Yemeni national, Farouk Abdulhak was educated and brought up in England. Until now he is thought to have visited his native Yemen only for occasional family events.
He and Magnussen were both international relations students at Regent’s Business School in Regent’s Park and socialised with the same group of friends.
In the early hours of yesterday – exactly a week after Magnussen’s disappearance – officers returned to the Maddox nightclub to appeal for information. But what was a murder investigation centred around London’s West End appears to have turned into an international manhunt.
Detective Chief Inspector Jessica Wadsworth, leading the investigation, has confirmed that Abdulhak flew to Yemen, but said his precise whereabouts were unknown. Officers have not yet travelled to Yemen. They would require diplomatic cooperation to do so.
“We wish to interview Mr Abdulhak as a matter of urgency to further investigate what happened to Martine in her final hours and how her death came about,” she said. “We believe he holds important information, which could assist us. He has many contacts in the UK and internationally and we are appealing for anyone who can assist in tracing him to contact the incident room.”
There have been conflicting signals over whether Yemen would cooperate with any future requests to extradite Abdulhak. The Middle Eastern country has no extradition treaty with the UK, and some reports have suggested that Yemen’s constitution prohibits the country from extraditing citizens to foreign jurisdictions.
However, there are precedents of extradition from Yemen: in 2001 diplomats offered to send terror suspects in the country to the UK in return for the radical preacher Abu Hamza, who was wanted in Yemen for alleged involvement in terrorist activities.
The office of Dr Abu Bakr al-Qurbi, Yemen’s foreign minister, yesterday confirmed the minister was “prepared to cooperate” with British authorities.
The Yemen Observer newspaper said a spokesman for the family had said they “would not associate themselves with any member of their family connected with any wrongdoing”.
“Any loss of life is tragic and the family send their feelings and deep condolences to the Magnussen family and friends whatever the cause of these unfortunate events,” a statement read.
But it appears that Abdulhak’s family have already undertaken efforts to prevent his extradition. His father met Yemen’s interior minister, Rashad al-Alimi, on Thursday, apparently to seek guarantees that his son will not be returned to the UK. He has also been in talks with the London-based law firm Peter & Peters, experts in extradition cases.
Magnussen’s family, who this week flew to London to identify her body and collect belongings, were told a postmortem examination was inconclusive, though it found she suffered injuries to her neck, and detectives have ordered further tests to establish exactly how she died.
Martine’s father, Odd, said that she brought “pure sunshine” to the lives of those she knew and was an “exceptionally warm and charismatic personality”. “Martine meant a lot to each and every family member. The loss has created an emptiness that will never leave us,” he said.
Now back in Norway, the family are communicating via a London-based Norwegian priest, Torbjorn Holt. He said that Martine’s family wished to go home and “are now surrounded by people who will support them in all ways”. He added: “Of course they are concerned that [Farouk] will be able to answer questions. It is in everyone’s interest that he is found.”
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There is a correction. Farouk has grown up in Cairo, Egypt not London and graduated from Cairo American College, an international American curriculum school providing an education from kindergarten through high school. He was well thought of in his class, and all in the community are shocked by the allegations. I hope that he is contacting the British Embassy and addressing the allegations. To run away and ignore the responsibilities is an admission of guilt and cowardly. Both families deserve closure and to hide out in countries with no extradition will not make the problem go away.
Hi all. I am a fellow norwegian who previously lived in London for some 20 years.
I do not know Martine but my heart goes out to her memory and her family.
I have written several e-mail appeals to some of Shaher Abdulhak´s business adresses as well as to the Yemen Times and the Yemen Observer, without receiving any replies. I think we have to SHAME these people into action and best of all hurt the contents of their PURSES. Try Googling for Shaher Abdulhak business ventures and write to the Yemeni newspapers. Farouk Abdulhak MUST be brought to justice in the UK without further delay.
Tore,
“Farouk Abdulhak MUST be brought to justice in the UK without further delay.”
how can you be so SURE it was him?! Imagine your friend had just died, then you were accused. You’d panic and flee. It doesnt help people like YOU being so blase about it.
I knew its hard on her family and friends but what about HIS family and friends?! He cant talk to any of his friends- noone knows how he’s coping with the allegations.
I knew him and its such a shock he’s been accused of something like this. Obviously i dont belive it was him, or if it was, i dont believe it was a cold blooded murder. Maybe it was an accident or something- I DONT KNOW. But neither do you! So maybe next time think about that before you say something so damning.
Concerned 2: ” how can you be so SURE it was him?! Imagine your friend had just died, then you were accused. You’d panic and flee.”
So you are saying he knew that “his friend” has just died before anyone else did? im sorry but he got “accused” at least a few days after he fled the UK. think timeline : Murder on the 14th, flees on the 14th, gets accused & media coverage 15th onwards
“unnatural neck injuries” are seldom an accidental occurence.
another angle is that there might have been some one else involved, anyhow he still knows more about this tragedy than anyone.
And lastly look up!!! (top of your screen): “He left the UK on Saturday before the body was discovered in the basement of his apartment”
SO YOU BETTER START BELIEVING, and maybe next time think about that before you say something so damning.
Concerned 2:
Further to Logiks points. The british police are not looking for any other suspects and Faruk is the only one they want to talk to. I guss it can be difficult to believe that someone you know is a killer, but the evidence is overwhelming.
He left the night club together with Martine
She was found in the bilding they went to
He took an unplanned trip to Yemen before the body was discovered
He does not want to talk to the police or return to the UK – why wouldn’t he return and help the police solve the killing of a friend when he was the last know person seen with her?
Replying to Concered 2
“Imagine your friend had just died, then you were accused. You’d panic and flee.”
Farouk Panicked and fled the UK before he was accused not to mention before the body was discovered, what does that mean? why would some one panic before he was accused and even before the body was discovered? why doesn’t he help the investigation if he was so innocent as you claim
We as Yemeni people condemn this vicious crime and if “Farouk Shaher Abdulhak” is to be responsible for it, he deserves to be brought to justice. I wish I could do something so that justice can prevail, I wish I could do something to bring justice for Martine Vik Magnussen, but Shaher Abdulhak is a very powerful man here in my country Yemen and I wouldn’t doubt he would kill me or kill anyone in Yemen who would just think about bringing justice to Martine Vik Magnussen.
Seems to me that this Abdulhak family are just SICK COWARDS .
ur wron this family of shaher abdulhak are just tring to protect thier own child and any person would do the same hes a kind man his son is a nice young man that wants to live his life just like any guy wants to afterall if he was the one i hope he will get cought though am sure hes not he can bearly kill a cat while drivin!!!
he has to be caught and arrested… very important that scum .. . !!!
Has run to to his dads place.and using all business technique to escape like
tellign he is very angry..
Why did he run the very same day the crime occured ?
Is anythign being done ? hope that evil scum is caught and brought to justice..
The government that helps this person to hide from facing his deeds are setting a mark on every arab; They (the arabs) are strict on their own laws, but they ignore other peoples laws. They talks about honor and pride and shows non. How on earth can anybody, slightly educated person, tolerate this shame?
And how do you (The arabs) manage to take this insult from your own peoples?
Are arabs sheeps or lions?
i am from yemen faruk abdulhak wold not go out side yemen it mean forgrt him i am very sad to this news and for this a nice girl but we have to know that
Why did he “flee” before the body was discovered? What was he afraid of if he did not already know she was dead….
he should be hung and trade with yemen severed until they hand him over. makes me ashamed to be classed as a foreigner like this animal