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| Saudi sisters 'reluctant to return home' before bodies found in New York river | Saudi sisters 'reluctant to return home' before bodies found in New York river |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The two Saudi Arabian sisters whosebodies were found, taped together, along New York City’s waterfront, had indicated that they “would rather do harm to themselves” than return to their home country, the police said on Friday, citing unnamed sources. | The two Saudi Arabian sisters whosebodies were found, taped together, along New York City’s waterfront, had indicated that they “would rather do harm to themselves” than return to their home country, the police said on Friday, citing unnamed sources. |
| Tala and Rotana Farea, ages 16 and 22, were discovered dead on 24 October lying on rocks along the Hudson river, on Manhattan’s west side. | |
| The medical examiner’s office has not released the cause or manner of death. | The medical examiner’s office has not released the cause or manner of death. |
| New York police department’s chief of detectives, Dermot Shea, reiterated on Friday that there were no signs of trauma on their bodies, saying: “At this point in time we have no credible information that any crime took place in New York City, but it is still under investigation. | |
| “It is entirely credible that the girls entered the water alive,” Shea also said, later saying that the tape was “not binding them tight together – more like keeping them together.” | “It is entirely credible that the girls entered the water alive,” Shea also said, later saying that the tape was “not binding them tight together – more like keeping them together.” |
| Shea provided some details into the Farea sisters’ lives over the past year, as well as their arrival in this city, during a news briefing on Friday afternoon. | Shea provided some details into the Farea sisters’ lives over the past year, as well as their arrival in this city, during a news briefing on Friday afternoon. |
| The sisters were last seen by their family, who lived in Fairfax, Virginia, around 30 November 2017. That December, they wound up in a “shelter-like facility due to some abuse allegations that came up”, Shea said. NYPD detectives investigating their deaths have come across reports that the sisters sought asylum in the United States from Saudi Arabia, which they left several years ago, Shea said. | The sisters were last seen by their family, who lived in Fairfax, Virginia, around 30 November 2017. That December, they wound up in a “shelter-like facility due to some abuse allegations that came up”, Shea said. NYPD detectives investigating their deaths have come across reports that the sisters sought asylum in the United States from Saudi Arabia, which they left several years ago, Shea said. |
| The sisters were reported missing from the “facility” about 23 or 24 August 2018, and, after taking several modes of transportation, arrived in New York City on 1 September, Shea said. | The sisters were reported missing from the “facility” about 23 or 24 August 2018, and, after taking several modes of transportation, arrived in New York City on 1 September, Shea said. |
| Financial records obtained by police indicate that they stayed at “a number of high-end hotels”, routinely ordering meals. | Financial records obtained by police indicate that they stayed at “a number of high-end hotels”, routinely ordering meals. |
| “The money started to run out,” Shea said. | “The money started to run out,” Shea said. |
| A “credible” eyewitness reached out to the NYPD on 31 October, telling them he had ‘a story that is haunting him’ – his words,” Shea said. | A “credible” eyewitness reached out to the NYPD on 31 October, telling them he had ‘a story that is haunting him’ – his words,” Shea said. |
| The witness was in Riverside Park, north of where the sisters were later found, about 7am on 24 October, when he stumbled upon two females sitting about 30 feet apart, with their heads lowered, and that they appeared to be praying, according to his account to the authorities. | The witness was in Riverside Park, north of where the sisters were later found, about 7am on 24 October, when he stumbled upon two females sitting about 30 feet apart, with their heads lowered, and that they appeared to be praying, according to his account to the authorities. |
| Sources also told NYPD detectives about statements that had been made, to the effect of “they would rather inflict harm on themselves” than return to Saudi Arabia, Shea said, without going into further details. | Sources also told NYPD detectives about statements that had been made, to the effect of “they would rather inflict harm on themselves” than return to Saudi Arabia, Shea said, without going into further details. |
| The sisters’ mysterious deaths come on the heels of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s slaying in October at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. | |
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