CAIRO: The murder of Heba El-Akkad, 23, and Nadine Khaled, 19, at the latter's home in Al-Nada compound in ElSheikh Zaid city, left their friends and colleagues in disbelief. Their initial shock after hearing the sad news slowly turned into skepticism of the police's version of the story and criticism of the way local media covered the crime. The public prosecutor's office has formally charged Mahmoud El-Sayed Abdel-Hafez Essawy, 20, with murder in the first degree with intent to commit theft in the case of the killing of Al-Akkad and Khaled. At first Essawy denied he had committed the murders, claiming responsibility only for the theft. It was only when he was taken to the crime scene that he confessed to the murder of Al-Akkad and Khaled in the early hours of last Thursday, according to police sources. Essawy's family denied he had committed the crime, saying he has always been a peaceful person. Although they said it's unlikely for him to steal because he earns around LE 300 a week, they said if he broke into the house with the intent of stealing, as police said, Essawy wouldn't have left the valuable jewelry. The victims' friends echoed similar sentiments, albeit for different reasons. "I don't believe in the police's theory, he couldn't be hiding all that time [for an hour and a half in the backyard and 15 minutes inside the house]. It's not just a random theft, it's not possible, it was someone who knew her and knew that she lived alone. It was not a robbery; it's a brutal murder, said one of the two victims' best friends, who refused to have her real name published, opting to be referred to with her nickname Monkey. Another friend who also wanted to be referred to with his nickname Mamado added, "It wasn't credible at all, it seemed very fake, and I think it's due to the pressure of the media and the fame of Heba's mother [Cairo-based Moroccan singer Laila Ghoufran]. Amin Waly, another friend, believed that "authorities freaked out because of the excessive media coverage and therefore looked for a scapegoat. On Friday, the Egyptian press reported that investigators have uncovered contradictory statements concerning the time of the murder. Apparently Essawy told investigators that he committed the murders at 1 am, while neighbors told police that they heard sounds of a struggle at dawn, four hours later. He claims that when he glanced at his mobile phone after entering the apartment, it was 1 am. Yet witnesses say that the sounds of the struggle occurred between 5 and 5:30 am. Investigators attributed the discrepancy to the possibility that Essawy's phone was giving the incorrect time. But aside from the debate about the identity of the culprit, the victims' friends were mainly disheartened and frustrated by the media coverage of the crime. In the few days it took the police to arrest Essawy, most media coverage centered on the victims' lifestyle, with many publications insinuating the two young women were leading a life of debauchery. A debate ensued as to whether one of the victims was having an affair with an alleged boyfriend or secretly married to him. Most of the victims' friends described such newspapers as "misleading and greedy, only interested in selling more copies regardless of the accuracy of the published information. Khaled's father had to appear on national TV, just a couple of days after the murder, to set the record straight and kill any rumors about his daughter's reputation or chastity. In a live interview on El-Beit Beitak show, he told viewers that forensic reports have proven that his daughter is a virgin. Ghoufran also had to tell TV viewers that her daughter shouldn't be persecuted for whatever she might have done as a teenager. Some papers claimed that on the night of the murder both girls were holding a party at the apartment, taking drugs and drinking alcohol. "There was no party going on, stresses their friend Monkey, nullifying any claims of drug use. "Nadine was baking a cake, Heba was preparing dinner and the other girl who left early was doing the dishes. I called them that same night and they told me so. She also added that the garden where police found traces of hashish was a public garden for more than three apartments, and that it shouldn't necessarily belong to the victims. As a result of such negative coverage, the third friend, who left the victims prior to the murder, is keeping a low profile. After being interrogated by the police, the girl's family limited her contact with friends and refused all requests for media interviews. Daily News Egypt attempted to reach her but to no avail. In an attempt to cope with the shocking murder and to counter the negative media coverage, the victims' friends and colleagues are focusing on keeping the good memory of El-Akkad and Khaled. A group of friends created a group on Facebook where all can share their good memories of the victims, often described as "nice, funny and sociable. The group's administrator, a close friend of theirs and their families, also wants the group to be an online platform to get credible information about the case. He said, "People were sending me messages all the time to get more information because they didn't believe in what the newspapers said, they preferred to know from a close friend rather from the media. In memory of El-Akkad her economics professor wrote, "You come to class with this beautiful smile on your face, you make the class alive. Khaled's friends described her as "very loveable and kind, with a bright future waiting for both her and El-Akkad. Ahmed Nabil, president of the Cairo Royal Roteract Club, said that El-Akkad had joined the club a couple of weeks before she died and attended some of its meetings. She was interested in the charity work, and really wanted to be a better person, he added.
