DAMMAM/WASHINGTON, 8 February  — Using fingerprints and dental records, a body recovered on Tuesday from a landfill outside Denver was preliminarily identified as that of Abdulaziz Al Kooheji. The body now lies at the coroner’s office where an autopsy has been done to determine the exact cause of death and to ascertain the significant events leading to the death. In addition, formal identification of the deceased will be made when the death certificate is issued.

According to Lt. John Priest of Denver police, if the coroner is satisfied with the immediate findings the body will be released to the family within two days. If toxicology testing is required then the body will be held for 10 days.

“Previously it was difficult to proceed in this case because we did not have the body of Mr. Al Kooheji,” explained Priest. “But now we will be seeking justice for the victim. This afternoon we will be filing charges of murder in the first degree against Naif Al Yousef, a Saudi citizen in custody in Denver. Once all the formalities regarding the autopsy are complete we will request the return to Denver of Tariq Al Dossary and Mishael Al Suwaidi who are both in custody in Saudi Arabia. There is no extradition treaty between Saudi Arabia and the USA so this will be something that will have to be worked out between the two governments. Here in Denver we simply feel that we want to bring justice to the family of Abdulaziz Al Kooheji.”

Priest said that as of yesterday no decision had been made by the district attorney on whether to seek the death penalty. The lieutenant was relieved that the search for the victim had been concluded successfully. He said the Denver Police Department had been dedicating a considerable amount of manpower to the case since Jan. 18 and had been working round the clock for the past 10 days.”

“This is our job and our responsibility,” pointed out Priest. “The conditions for the search teams out in the landfill were horrific. They had to go into an area 100 yards long and 20 feet deep, filled with medical waste, poisons, broken glass and decaying organic matter and use hand tools in conjunction with heavy equipment to find the body. The stress level experienced by these detectives was extreme. But our police officers are dedicated people and we were dealing with a human issue here — recovering the deceased so his family could have peace of mind and seek justice.”

Through their attorney in the United States, the Al Kooheji family made the following statement:

“The family of Ibrahim Al Kooheji wishes to express extreme gratitude and appreciation for the hard work and sacrifice of our investigators, our attorney and law enforcement officials from Denver, Glendale, Aurora and Arapahoe Counties. Also, while all of the above were instrumental in unraveling the series of events that led to Aziz’s death, this case would not have been solved today without the tenacity and determination of Aziz’s uncle Mohammed Al Kooheji and his cousin Abdul Rahim Abdulwahed.

“When Aziz was known to be missing on Jan. 11, 2001, everyone hoped for his safe return while fearing the worst. Today’s discovery apparently confirms what we had been told about his death. Aziz was a 20-year-old student who came to this country about a year and a half ago to follow in the footsteps of his two brothers and father by becoming an engineer. Aziz was the youngest of three brothers and also has four sisters. Aziz loved life and he loved his friends. Traveling and soccer were two of his passions.

“The loss of a child is one of the worst things any parent can endure. For the last week, thousands of Saudi Arabians and mourners from neighboring countries have gathered in long lines at the Al Kooheji home to pay respects to Aziz and his family. The incidence of murder in Saudi Arabia is fairly rare and this incident has shocked the conscience of people throughout the region.

“The Al Kooheji family is hopeful that authorities in the United States and Saudi Arabia will work closely to bring those accused to justice so that the suffering of the victim’s family as well as that of the accused can be lessened.