Turkey

AKTAŞ
Süleyman

Active in 1986, 1994 in Antalya and Çambaşı Village

DID YOU KNOW...

Shocking Fact

Aktaş began killing people after receiving a massive electrical shock

Mistaken Fact

The 2nd and 3rd victims were originally thought to have died from food poisoning

Media Fact

Aktaş was extensively interviewed on television after being caught

THE DISPATCH

The Beginning

Tracking down information on Süleyman Aktaş was difficult. The story seemed to change over time, and depending on who was telling it. The number of victims changed from 5 to 6 to 7. I can only confirm 6 people (with names). Whether murders 2 & 3 were determined immediately to be murders or were first ruled as food poisoning, is unclear. I am currently unable to locate exact dates.

The Murders

Nuri Keskin

In 1986, Aktaş was working with the electrical authority in Antalya. One day, he was electrocuted. Shortly after, he approached a chief commissioner (police officer). Süleyman asked for directions, but did not like the answer. Chief Commissioner Nuri Keskin was attacked and killed. Aktaş was sent to Manisa Mental Health and Diseases Hospital for 3-4 years.

Aktaş Released

Aktaş was released from the mental health facility in 1990. He went to live in Çambaşı Köyü.

Ayşe & İsmail Güneş

In 1994, neighbours of Aktaş are murdered. He strangled Ayşe Güneş, 65, and İsmail Güneş, 66 in their home. The bodies of the victims were not found right away, and the decay meant a cause of death could not be established. Their deaths were attributed to food poisoning.

Rukiye & Ramazan Kocatepe, Yıldırım Kılıç

Two more neighbours of Aktaş are killed a month after the first attack. Rukiye Kocatepe, 77 and Ramazan Kocatepe, 78, are murdered while they slept. He hammered 2 nails nailed in the left eyes of the victims and 1 nail into their foreheads.

When a local villager heard the news, he rushed to his relative’s home. There, he found Yıldırım Kılıç dead. Kılıç had nails hammered into his left eye, and one into his forehead.

Arrest & Trial

Aktaş Arrested

Aktaş was arrested in 1994. He readily confessed to the last 3 murders. Aktaş explained that the number 9 was important to his murders, so each of the 3 victims had 3 nails. Authorities found sharpened concrete nails and a list of victims in his home. They realized the Güneş couple are on the list. They were also Aktaş’s victims.

Nailing Killer Escapes Custody & is Rearrested

Aktaş temporarily escaped custody by cutting through or removing the bars of his cell. In the Çambaşı Village, almost 2/3 of the villagers fled in fear of his return. He was recaptured without further murders.

Aktaş was determined to be responsible for the murders of 5 more people. He was sent to the Manisa Mental Health and Diseases Hospital (now Manisa Mental and Neurological Diseases Hospital).

Ömer Yılmaz (Survivor)

While on a walk in the garden, Aktas attacked another ward of the mental health facility. Murderer Ömer Yılmaz was bashed on the head with a stone. Yılmaz was taken to hospital, where he survived the injury.

Süleyman Aktaş’s Location

Süleyman Aktaş was living in the Manisa Mental and Neurological Diseases Hospital as of 2018. They declared he could not be successfully treated.

SIMILAR SERIAL KILLERS

Abdullah Palaz

Palaz was a serial killer in Turkey during the 1940s

Jerome (Jerry) Brudos

Brudos, like Aktas, was electrocuted accidentally at work

Richard Trenton Chase

Chase and Aktas were both mentally ill, disorganized, territorial killers

WHERE IT HAPPENED

A non-interactive map of where things happened

VIDEOS

Çivici Katil. Sıcağı Sıcağına – in Turkish (1994)

Abone Ol. Çivici Seri Katil Süleyman Aktaş (Jun 27, 2020)

İnsanları Çivileyen Yerli Seri Katil | Süleyman Aktaş (2020)

Çivici Katil Süleyman Aktaş Hikayesi & Röportajlari| Denizli Çambaşi Köy Cinayetleri (2021)

THE STATS

Years living in Çambaşı Village before killing again

A number significant to Aktaş's murders

The average known age of Aktaş's victims

Süleyman Aktaş in a Historical Timeline

Statistical table for Süleyman Aktaş

Killer Name	Aktas, Suleyman
Killer AKA	The Nailing Killer, The Nail Pounder
Gender	M
Sentence
Birth Location	Antalya, Turkey
Status	Alive or Unknown
Head Injury	Electrocuted at work (30,000 volts) which is though to have caused brain damage
Job Types	Electrical lineman
Labour Type	Blue
Sexual Preference	Straight
Marital Status	Married
Killer Type	Mentally Ill (e.g. voices/Munchausen), Disorganized, Territorial
Psychology	Paranoid Schizophrenic
Institutionalized	Yes
Psych Diagnosis	Depression
comment1	Killed a police officer. After the village murders, carefully sharpened concrete nails and a list of those to be killed were found on the ground floor of Aktas's house. The killer was saying that he killed 3 people (the last couple Rukiye (77) and Ramazan Kocatepe (78) and the lone male in accordance with the second task given to him and that the number 9 was important, so he used 3 nails each. The nail killer turned out to be paranoid schizophrenic. (CNN)
Total Dead Victims	6
Victims (Convicted)	6
Victim Gender	Various
Victim Race	White
Victim Age	65, 66, 77, 78
Victim Type	Neighbours, police officer
Method of Killing	Strangulation, bludgeoning, stabbing
Weapon	Concrete nails
Torture	Yes
Overkill	Yes
Body - Left, Not Hidden	Yes
Previous Crimes	Maybe
Commit Crimes While Out	Escape and recapture dates unknown. No crimes committed while out

Killer Rating

 5/5