Age: 23
Sex: male
Date: 7 Nov 2003
Place: River Lea Navigation, Willington Court, Mandeville Street, Clapton, Hackney Marshes
Erkan Konakli was found dead in the River Lea Navigation, having been shot in the back of the head.
His cause of death was given as a bullet wound to the back of the head. It was thought that he had been executed because of his links in the drugs trade and the criminal underworld. The police said that it was fair to say that he was involved in drugs trafficking and noted that his murder was a classic execution-style killing.
It was also suggested that he had been shot by a suspected heroin dealer that had owed him hundreds of pounds in drugs money who lured him to a flat and then shot him.
Erkan Konakli was last seen on 7 November 2003 in Stoke Newington at the junction of Newington Green and Albion Road. When he was last seen he had been wearing a baseball cap, blue and green trainers, blue jogging trousers and a top. He had been 5ft 8ins tall and of medium build.
His body was found six days later on 13 November 2003 at 3pm in the canal near Willington Court in Clapton.
A man was tried for his murder but found not guilty.
It was said that he had been found dead in the man's flat and that the man, who had been a drug dealer, had decided to dispose of his body rather than risk a police investigation. Erkan Konakli was described as an acquaintance of the man tried for his murder.
The man was said to have then hid his body in a barrel and then taken it to a canal in Hackney Marshes and dumped it.
The man was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice and sentenced to four years but acquitted of his murder.
Erkan Konakli had lived on Maltby Road in Enfield and had been a Turkish Cypriot.
