Bio

Ali Kaya was born in 1978 in Gaziantep, Turkey. As a teenager, Kaya became involved in crimes such as theft, assault, and snatch theft. He entered the criminal justice system at a young age and was imprisoned by the time he was 17. After his release in 1997, he committed his first known murder.

That first victim was his uncle, Celal Kaya, whom he stabbed to death while working at a real estate office in Alanya. Kaya was sentenced to five years in prison but was released on parole in 1999. After his release, he continued killing.

Kaya was later diagnosed with a mental disorder and placed in psychiatric institutions. Reports specifically describe him as having borderline personality disorder or a personality disorder. Because of these mental health findings, he was repeatedly moved between prison and psychiatric custody.

Over time, Kaya developed a self-justifying belief that he was targeting “bad people.” Authorities later found death lists on him, including names of people he believed had harmed him or others.

Murder Story

Ali Kaya’s confirmed killing series began in 1997, shortly after he was released from prison. His first known murder was the stabbing of his uncle, Celal Kaya, in Alanya. He received a five-year sentence but was released on parole in 1999.

After that release, Kaya killed Zeynel Abidin Gümüş, whom he believed had sexually assaulted his mother. During this period, Kaya was diagnosed with a mental disorder and transferred to psychiatric care. He was later released again after a report stated that he had claustrophobia.

Once free, Kaya attacked several men in Alanya, including a music hall owner known as Dedo, a man known as “Mehmet of Ağrı,” and Fırat S. Two of the three later died. Because Kaya had psychiatric documentation, he was not detained in the same way during parts of the legal process.

Kaya later killed two Alanya prison guards, Kemal Aksakal and Hasan Askeroğlu, stabbing them in the street. He was then placed in Manisa Psychiatric Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a personality disorder.

On March 13, 2000, while inside the psychiatric hospital, Kaya and Tayfun Şahin killed Ayhan Kartal, a convicted child killer and rapist known as “The Beast of İzmir.” Kartal was stabbed in the throat and stomach. After this killing, Kaya became widely known in Turkish media as “The Babyface Killer.”

In 2001, Kaya was placed in Şanlıurfa Prison. He escaped from a semi-open prison in 2003 and was recaptured in 2004 in Mahmutlar, Alanya, carrying a fake ID under the name Erdal Yılmaz. Police found a death list on him. During questioning, Kaya said he wanted to confront his enemies and “clean” society of bad people.

Kaya was briefly released again in March 2012 after a report stated that he had a mental disorder. After that release, he killed Mehmet Poyraz, who was staying at his family’s home in Gaziantep. He was captured again in November 2013 after a shootout with Turkish gendarmerie forces.

On January 5, 2014, Kaya escaped from Gaziantep H-Type Prison during visitation hours. Authorities said he took advantage of the crowd during an open visit. A manhunt followed, and he was recaptured in downtown Gaziantep on March 3, 2014. Police found him with a handgun and another death list. Ali Kaya remains imprisoned.