THE former partner of a woman stabbed to death with her best friend in Turkey has left Ireland to bring home their bodies.
Marion Graham and Kathy Dinsmore, both 53, from Newry, Co Down, are believed to have been murdered by teenage waiter Recep Cepis, who had been dating Marion's 15-year-old daughter Shannon.
Raymond McGuinness, Shannon's father, flew to Turkey yesterday to comfort his daughter.
He will also bring home Marion and Kathy's bodies.
Raymond admitted he had never been fully in favour of the relationship since the teens began going out last summer.
He added: "There was always something that was not quite right."
Marion and Kathy's bloodsoaked bodies were found in woods 75 miles north of Kusadasi. They had been stabbed and their throats cut.
Turkish sources say the killings were sparked after Marion refused to allow 17-year-old Cepis to marry Shannon.
Cepis, known to the family as Alex, has confessed to the killings after initially claiming the women had been kidnapped.
The teenager has been quizzed by a prosecutor and remains in custody. His father and a taxi driver were also arrested, but have since been released.
Marion and Kathy spent their summers in Turkey and Cepis began dating Shannon last year.
He is thought to have driven his victims out of Kusadasi on Thursday after Shannon went on a boat trip.
He had told Marion and Kathy he was taking them on a shopping trip. The alarm was raised when he arrived for work "in a distressed state" and claimed the women had been kidnapped.
He claimed he had tried to fight off kidnappers who had bundled Marion and Kathy into a van.
Raymond said: "He told Shannon he had tried to stop the kidnappers and had suffered a cut on his hand."
It is understood Cepis had been involved in a separate row with Shannon's mother last week.
He has already appeared at a preliminary court hearing but is yet to be formally charged.
Turkish police have yet to decide whether he will be tried as an adult or juvenile.
Marion's sister Monica Higgins said yesterday the family were "absolutely devastated" by the tragedy.
She added: "We've just found out. My mother's in the car crying her eyes out.
"We're trying to work with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to find out what exactly happened."
Shannon was comforted through the day by a Kusadasibased Irish hotelier at a police station in Izmir. An Irish Embassy official has also been sent from Ankara to support her.
Tragic Kathy, whose mother died just four weeks ago, worked for Newry and Mourne District Council. She worked in a local cab firm up until last Christmas.
The two women had been regular visitors to Kusadasi for years, staying in an apartment owned by Raymond.
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