The trial over a Yemeni national who has been held in custody for the murder of a Latvian woman, Sanita Braun, since the night of her murder in September 2017 is currently under way at the Reykjavík District Court. The man, Khaled Cairo, who came to Iceland as a refugee, had stalked the victim before he attacked and killed her where she lived on Hagamelur street in downtown Reykjavík.
The suspect maintains that he was justified to attack the victim because his feelings were hurt because she refused his romantic advances. A police officer who interviewed the suspect testified in court that he justified his actions by saying that the victim had fucked a nigger, referring to some other man he believes the victim had been intimate with.
Unusually brutal attack
On September 21 the Metropolitan Police was called to a house on Hagamelur street, near Vesturbæjarlaug swimming pool in Central Reykjavík. A 44 year old Latvian woman, Sanita Brauna, had been brutally attacked in her home by a neighbor, a Yemeni national in his 30s. The attacker confessed to the police that he had attacked the victim. However, he denies that he murdered her.
According to testimony in court today Police officers who arrived at the scene were met by the attacker who was only wearing a pair of white underwear, but was otherwise naked. The man was covered in blood from head to toe. It was later established that all the blood had come from the victim.
Police have determined that the victim was killed by injuries suffered from blunt force trauma to the head. The attacker used wine bottles to beat the victim, as well as a fire extinguisher.
Attacker claimed he was justified
A Police officer who took Khaled into custody at the scene said that his demeanor and mood were peculiar. He acted like someone who was coming from a fun party, and seemed very happy with what had happened.
He made all sorts of boasts and used big words about his interaction with the victim. That she had been playing with his emotions, but that she deserved what he had been forced to do because she had fucked a nigger.
The officer said that none of the actions or words of Khaled fit with the profile of a normal person. He was cheerful and unapologetic.
He repeatedly said that she deserved what she got, because she had had intimate relations with a colored person, and claimed that all normal men would have done what he did.
Laughed at photos of the victim
Khaled showed no sign of remorse or empathy during the interrogation, and appeared to take pride in his actions. During interrogation he was shown photographs of the scene and the victim at the scene, which caused him to chuckle and laugh.
During interrogation he maintained that the victim had it coming, and that his actions were justified because the victim had played with his emotions. He claimed that he had only beaten the victim a bit, not enough to kill her. Instead he blamed the paramedics and doctors at the Emergency Room, where Sanita was pronounced dead for her death.
A tragic tale
The victim, had lived in Iceland for close to two years, working at hotels and guesthouses in South and West Iceland, before moving to Reykjavík where she was working at a downtown guesthouse.
Sanita Brauna and Khaled Cairo knew each other. They had met online, where the two chatted a few times before meeting once. However, Sanita didn't like Cairo, and refused to see him again. According to reports this enraged the man who then proceeded to stalk Sanita. He had been stalking her for a while before he attacked her at her home on September 21 2017.
You can read our previous coverage of the case here:
September 22: Third murder this year: Two men arrested yesterday evening. Woman dead after violent attack
September 22: More details in Hagamelur murder case. Suspects in their 20s, 30s. Victim was in her 40s
September 25: Suspect and victim in Hagamelur Street murder had a brief personal relationship
September 29: Family of Hagamelur murder victim say suspect, a Yemeni asylum seeker, had stalked her
October 9: Suspect confesses to September Hagamelur murder: Deadly attack with fire extinguisher
The trial over a Yemeni national who has been held in custody for the murder of a Latvian woman, Sanita Braun, since the night of her murder in September 2017 is currently under way at the Reykjavík District Court. The man, Khaled Cairo, who came to Iceland as a refugee, had stalked the victim before he attacked and killed her where she lived on Hagamelur street in downtown Reykjavík.
The suspect maintains that he was justified to attack the victim because his feelings were hurt because she refused his romantic advances. A police officer who interviewed the suspect testified in court that he justified his actions by saying that the victim had fucked a nigger, referring to some other man he believes the victim had been intimate with.
Unusually brutal attack
On September 21 the Metropolitan Police was called to a house on Hagamelur street, near Vesturbæjarlaug swimming pool in Central Reykjavík. A 44 year old Latvian woman, Sanita Brauna, had been brutally attacked in her home by a neighbor, a Yemeni national in his 30s. The attacker confessed to the police that he had attacked the victim. However, he denies that he murdered her.
According to testimony in court today Police officers who arrived at the scene were met by the attacker who was only wearing a pair of white underwear, but was otherwise naked. The man was covered in blood from head to toe. It was later established that all the blood had come from the victim.
Police have determined that the victim was killed by injuries suffered from blunt force trauma to the head. The attacker used wine bottles to beat the victim, as well as a fire extinguisher.
Attacker claimed he was justified
A Police officer who took Khaled into custody at the scene said that his demeanor and mood were peculiar. He acted like someone who was coming from a fun party, and seemed very happy with what had happened.
He made all sorts of boasts and used big words about his interaction with the victim. That she had been playing with his emotions, but that she deserved what he had been forced to do because she had fucked a nigger.
The officer said that none of the actions or words of Khaled fit with the profile of a normal person. He was cheerful and unapologetic.
He repeatedly said that she deserved what she got, because she had had intimate relations with a colored person, and claimed that all normal men would have done what he did.
Laughed at photos of the victim
Khaled showed no sign of remorse or empathy during the interrogation, and appeared to take pride in his actions. During interrogation he was shown photographs of the scene and the victim at the scene, which caused him to chuckle and laugh.
During interrogation he maintained that the victim had it coming, and that his actions were justified because the victim had played with his emotions. He claimed that he had only beaten the victim a bit, not enough to kill her. Instead he blamed the paramedics and doctors at the Emergency Room, where Sanita was pronounced dead for her death.
A tragic tale
The victim, had lived in Iceland for close to two years, working at hotels and guesthouses in South and West Iceland, before moving to Reykjavík where she was working at a downtown guesthouse.
Sanita Brauna and Khaled Cairo knew each other. They had met online, where the two chatted a few times before meeting once. However, Sanita didn't like Cairo, and refused to see him again. According to reports this enraged the man who then proceeded to stalk Sanita. He had been stalking her for a while before he attacked her at her home on September 21 2017.
You can read our previous coverage of the case here:
September 22: Third murder this year: Two men arrested yesterday evening. Woman dead after violent attack
September 22: More details in Hagamelur murder case. Suspects in their 20s, 30s. Victim was in her 40s
September 25: Suspect and victim in Hagamelur Street murder had a brief personal relationship
September 29: Family of Hagamelur murder victim say suspect, a Yemeni asylum seeker, had stalked her
October 9: Suspect confesses to September Hagamelur murder: Deadly attack with fire extinguisher
