A 43-year-old man found dead in an Essex forest has been named as popular radio DJ Koray Alpergin.
Friends and family have paid tribute to Mr Alpergin, describing him as “such a bubbly, friendly soul who didn’t deserve this”.
Police believe Mr Alpergin, who was the owner of Turkish station Bizim FM, was abducted from his home in north London along with a woman in her 30s.
The pair were reportedly “taken against their will in a vehicle” from where they lived in Ebony Crescent, Enfield, on Friday. The woman has now been found unharmed.
Officers previously arrested three men on suspicion of murder in the Kent area after the 43-year-old’s body was found in Loughton, Essex, on Saturday.
They have now arrested a fourth man, who was found in the Tottenham area on Monday, on suspicion of murder.
Friends and family shared their grief on social media, describing Mr Alpergin as a “beautiful soul”.
One friend said: “I wish condolences and patience to all those who love him, especially his family. May Allah have mercy upon them. Amen.”
“My condolences to all his family and friends. It was a pity. How it happened at such a young age is still unknown,” another wrote.
Someone else took to Facebook to write: “RIP brother. No words can describe our loss. Such a beautiful soul.
“For whatever reason, no one has the right to take another’s life.
“You’ve always been there for me and so many people. Such a bubbly, friendly soul who didn’t deserves this. We need justice. You will always be in our hearts.”
Mr Alpergin was found near Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate at around 11.55am on Saturday by Essex Police officers. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police has taken the lead in the investigation as they had been searching for Mr Alperginas and the 33-year-old woman.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Police had received the report at 1.51pm on 14 October, that the pair were missing from an address in Ebony Crescent, Enfield and had not been seen since the night before. They were known to each other.
“Specialist officers are supporting Koray’s family. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. The woman has been located and is physically unharmed.”
Three men were arrested on suspicion of murder in Kent on Sunday. They remain in police custody. Police arrested a fourth man, aged 55, on Monday on suspicion of murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Kieran from the Met Police said: “This is an extremely fast-paced and complex investigation that involves numerous crime scenes and, at this time, has resulted in the arrest of four men for the murder of Koray Alpergin.
“We believe that Koray and a 33-year-old woman were forced into a white van outside their home address in Ebony Crescent, Enfield, at around 22:30hrs on Thursday, 13 October.
“I would appeal to anyone who was in that area at the time, who may have seen anything, no matter how small, to contact police immediately. I urge people to check doorbell camera or dash cam footage – you may have captured something that could prove crucial to our investigation.
“Although our investigation is still at a very early stage, I am working on the hypothesis that Koray’s kidnappers were possibly known to him and this was not a random attack.
“I can assure residents in Enfield and Essex that we are doing absolutely everything we can to understand the chain of events here, and bring to justice those responsible.”
