Crimestoppers offers £10,000 reward in hunt for suspect in Chelmsford murder investigation

As an independent charity, Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 to find Ceyhan Dinler, who is wanted by Essex Police in connection with the murder of Cumali Turhan in Chelmsford.

Ceyhan DinlerDinler was last seen at Stansted Airport on 19 November 2024 – the day Cumali disappeared.

The night before, Cumali had met Ceyhan Dinler for a drink in The Globe pub, before they walked to Barista Bar on Duke Street, Chelmsford. Cumali never made it out alive, and Essex Police later learned his body had been put in a bin.

A second man, Ciprian Ilie, 44, was jailed for seven years in October for assisting an offender (murder) and preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body. Essex Police are now trying to locate Ceyhan Dinler.

The appeal launches following the transmission of Channel 4 programme Catching a Killer: Buried Truths, which documented Essex Police’s exhaustive investigation and search for Cumali.

They searched an Essex landfill site for 47 days in their efforts to find the 45-year-old father.

Working 10 hours a day in extremely difficult conditions, the officers meticulously and sensitively searched an area of 5,000 square metres (around the size of a full-size football pitch), which was five metres deep in places. The team hunted through 1,500 tonnes of waste before they found him.

It is believed that no other force in the country has ever recovered a body from a landfill site during an active police search.

Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, is supporting this investigation by offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information we exclusively receive that leads to the arrest of Ceyhan Dinler. 

Do you have information, but don't want to speak to the police? You can tell us what you know and remain 100% anonymous - guaranteed. 

Call free any time on 0800 555 111 or fill in our quick, easy & secure online form, right here on our website:

Give information anonymously

“We are completely focused on locating Mr Dinler so that he can answer our questions.

“This investigation has seen one man jailed for his part and it is vital that we bring everyone responsible before the courts.

“Cumali’s family deserve answers and justice. We will ensure that happens by working closely with partners.

“We will not stop looking for him and appeal to him directly to contact us.

“If you know where he is or have any information please contact Crimestoppers. Speaking to them is completely anonymous and does not involve talking to the police.

“Help us ensure there is justice for Cumali and his family.

“We stopped at nothing to find Cumali’s body, so we could return him to his loved ones. And we are putting that same level of commitment into locating Ceyhan Dinler.”

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe, Essex Police

“Our charity knows how difficult it can be to speak up when it involves discussing especially dangerous criminals.

“With Crimestoppers, you stay completely anonymous. That means no police, no courts, no witness statements. In other words, if you contact our charity, by phone or online, to tell us where Dinler is located, no one will ever know.

“Cumali Turhan’s family in Turkey and here in the UK are desperate for answers and need justice. You could make a huge difference in a case that is truly tragic.”

Phil Breckon, Crimestoppers Eastern Regional Manager 

Anonymity

Crimestoppers guarantees complete anonymity, meaning that people who call or contact us online can pass on what they know without ever giving any personal details. Computer IP addresses are never traced. Telephone calls are never recorded, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility.

Claiming a reward

The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police. A reward code must be asked for when calling our charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact us via our online form anonymously, the 'keeping in contact’ facility must be used and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact.
 
More details about the rewards process – at the heart of which is ensuring you stay 100% anonymous - can be found here.

06 January 2026