Investigators probe deaths of Saudi sisters found bound together with tape in the Hudson River

10/30/18
The two sisters whose bodies were found bound together with tape in the Hudson River were from Saudi Arabia, the New York City Police Department said Tuesday. Tala Farea, 16, and Rotana Farea, 22, had previously been living in Fairfax, Virginia, according to the NYPD. The younger sister, Tala, had been reported missing on Aug. 24, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The sisters "were students accompanying their brother in Washington," the Saudi consulate in New York said in a statement posted on Twitter Tuesday. The sisters' deaths have not been deemed homicides and police said it's still not clear when they arrived in New York or why they were here. Detectives from New York have traveled to Virginia to follow up on leads in the case. Part of the investigation is looking at clues from their past lives to learn more, police said.

In its statement Tuesday, the Saudi consulate in New York said authorities "are following closely and constantly for details on the case including the forensic reports showing the causes of death which have not been finalized and is still under investigation." The consulate also said it had "appointed an attorney to follow the case closely." The women's bodies washed ashore off of Manhattan's Upper West Side on Oct. 24, bound together with duct tape, police said. A passerby saw two bodies floating in the water and contacted authorities. The sisters were found laying on rocks near the river, fully clothed, both wearing black jackets with fur trim and black leggings. There were no obvious signs of trauma, police said. While officials said that the bodies were bound together with tape, the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown, officials said. The bodies are believed to have washed ashore with the tide and stayed when the tide went out.

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Rogue Valley said:

Investigators probe deaths of Saudi sisters found bound together with tape in the Hudson River





It has not been determined if this is a double homicide or a double suicide. Their brother would be a "person of interest" since under Islamic law as a male family member he would be acting as the legal guardian of his sisters. The sisters had been ordered to return to Saudi Arabia after they had both applied for asylum in the United States. It seems to me that there is a good probability that "dishonoring the family" somehow played a significant role in their deaths.

Related: Sisters found dead in Hudson River were ordered home by Saudis, mom says

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Rogue Valley said:

Investigators probe deaths of Saudi sisters found bound together with tape in the Hudson River





It has not been determined if this is a double homicide or a double suicide. Their brother would be a "person of interest" since under Islamic law as a male family member he would be acting as the legal guardian of his sisters. The sisters had been ordered to return to Saudi Arabia after they had both applied for asylum in the United States. It seems to me that there is a good probability that "dishonoring the family" somehow played a significant role in their deaths.

Related: Sisters found dead in Hudson River were ordered home by Saudis, mom says

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Bodhisattva said:

This could have been family squabble about what to blow up... terrorists rarely agree.

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Casper said:

Have you no shame?

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Casper said:

Have you no shame?

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Bodhisattva said:

This could have been family squabble about what to blow up... terrorists rarely agree.

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Mr Person said:

I am rather skeptical of the idea that they duct-taped themselves together in order to commit suicide...

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Kobie said:

That’s pretty sick, dude.

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rogue valley said:

officials have ruled out trauma as a cause of death. Water was found in their lungs which means they were likely alive when they entered the river. The mother of the sisters said the girls had requested asylum in the us and had been ordered to return to the kingdom by the saudi government. New york city detectives have discovered that the two sisters had vowed to kill themselves if they had to return home to saudi arabia. They were discovered on the bank of the hudson river, duct-taped together, but not tightly bound. Only bound enough to ensure they would remain together. A credible witness said he believes he saw them that morning in a park adjacent to where the bodies were found as he was jogging. The witness said the girls were sitting in the grass about 30 feet apart and appeared to be deep in prayer with their heads in their hands. Police say the jogging witness is despondent over what happened.

It seems like this is indeed a double-suicide. Things must be very dark in the kingdom for females. I hope the sisters are now cradled together in the arms of their god.

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