Suspect in murder of Irbid married couple arrested

AMMAN — Police on Monday announced the arrest of a man in connection with the brutal murder of a married couple in Irbid Governorate in June of this year.

The victims, a 39-year-old man and his wife, 32, were found dead with multiple stab wounds in a valley near their home in Taibeh at dawn on June 29.

“A special team was formed to investigate the murder of the couple and, when new evidence surfaced, that led to the arrest of the suspect,” Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

A second source said that bystanders had found a knife near a tree, which, after DNA and blood analysis, led to the conclusion that the samples belonged to the suspect and the victims.

A government autopsy indicated that the husband and wife received a total of 35 stab wounds to different parts of their bodies, the second source told The Jordan Times.

In his initial confession to the police, the suspect claimed that he was engaged in a heated argument with the male victim while at his home and “they decided to walk to a nearby valley to continue the discussion”, Sartawi said.

“The argument became heated and the suspect stabbed the victim repeatedly and, when his wife followed them to check on the matter, he stabbed her to death and left,” the police official added.

The suspect was referred to the Criminal Court prosecutor who decided to charge the suspect with double murder, according to a statement by the Public Security Department.

The couple is survived by three daughters, official sources said.