Algerian man massacres his family

Relatives who had hoped to pay a visit to family members living in an Algiers suburb were horribly surprised last week when police discovered they had been brutally murdered, according to a newspaper report Saturday.

In a crime of passion attributed to either a fight over a girl he wanted to marry or a dispute over inheritance, the eldest son massacred his mother, his 20-year-old sister and his 22-year-old brother in their family home, reported the Algerian newspaper al-Khabar.

The bodies were not found until 2 days after the crime and were highly decomposed due to the heat during the past week.

According to the paper, the murderer drugged his family members and after ensuring they were unconscious, stabbed them to death. He then put the three bodies in a room and poured a chemical on them to cover up the smell of rotting flesh.

The crime was uncovered when the family’s absence aroused their relative’s suspension. The relatives called the police, who entered the house and found the bodies.

Following an investigation the police named the eldest son as the prime suspect and arrested him, upon which he confessed to the crime. Neighbors testified that he had no psychological disorders.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).