Serkan Kaygusuz, 42 of Sparsholt Road, Islington, appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 21 February, and was convicted of murder after a trial. The jury deliberated for only 29 minutes before reaching a decision.

Kaygusuz was remanded to appear in the same court on Wednesday, February 22 for sentencing.

Norma Girolami, 70, was last seen in mid-August 2021, according to court testimony.

On September 13, 2021, she was reported missing by a friend. Police went to her house, which appeared to be in order.

Norma’s phone number received text messages indicating that she was on holiday. Norma’s relatives quickly realised, however, that these messages were not from Norma. Kaygusuz, whose first language was Turkish, sent the texts from Norma’s phone. They were riddled with grammatical errors and incorrectly used pet names.

Norma was officially reported missing on September 20, 2021, and a murder investigation was launched in October 2021 after preliminary inquiries.

Norma lived in the Highgate area and frequently took public transportation to Brent Cross to do her shopping. She was also a member at Archway Leisure Centre where she had met the defendant. They had become friends and a relationship had formed, but things took a sinister turn when Kaygusuz, the unemployed, began asking for money.

In August 2021, Norma told a close friend that she had given more than £200,000 to Kaygusuz and purchased a car for him, but that he was constantly asking for more money. Norma’s funds had run out, and she didn’t want to give Kaygusuz any more money.

We know that on August 19, 2021, Norma took a day trip to Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. When she returned home, Kaygusuz paid her a visit in the evening, which was unusual, and he murdered her.

He wrapped her body in a bed sheet and then wrapped Norma in large black plastic waste sacks from ‘Homes for Islington,’ securing the bags with black duct tape.

He carried Norma’s body to a churchyard and buried her in a shallow grave.

Kayusuz was arrested on suspicion of fraud and false imprisonment on October 1, 2021, but was later arrested on suspicion of murder. On October 4, 2021, he was charged with murder and two counts of theft. He was remanded in custody and remained in custody throughout the investigation.

During the course of their investigation, detectives discovered that the defendant purchased two “spading” forks, six ground stabilisers, overshoes, duct tape, a shovel, long rubber gloves, a large bucket, and forensic style overalls online. He also bought restraint equipment such as handcuffs, a ball gag with wrist restraints, and paracord.

The items in Kayusuz’s online purchase history were basically a body disposal kit,” said Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, the senior investigating officer. Despite the lack of a body, we were certain that he had murdered Norma and buried her in a cemetery or communal space.

“Our search for Norma’s remains lasted fifteen months. We painstakingly examined forensics, CCTV and digital evidence from mobile phones and vehicles and my team recovered stored images from the defendant’s phone that showed the area around St James Churchyard. That was the final puzzle piece that led us to Norma.”

On November 1, 2022, the remains of Norma Girolami were recovered from St James Churchyard in Friern Barnet.

We now know that after she was reported missing, the police contacted Norma on her cell phone. Kayusuz had returned to the grave after hearing this message on Norma’s voicemail and had dug up the top layers of soil and reinforced the burial site with wood and more stabilisers in an attempt to prevent the grave from being discovered.

Kayusuz pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, fraud, and perverting the course of justice in court at the start of his trial for disposing of Norma’s body.

Kayusuz applied for loans in Norma’s name totalling £60,000 after her death, and items of her property, including her jewellery, mobile phone, bank cards, passport, and house keys, were discovered at his address and the address of another woman with whom he was in a relationship, the court heard.

“Despite accepting that Norma was murdered, her loved ones have shown great strength for her throughout our long investigation and now a graphic trial that I know has been an ordeal for them,” Detective Chief Inspector Blackburn added. Today, my thoughts are with them and with Norma.

“I am relieved that the verdict was guilty. Kayusuz’s treatment of Norma was calculated, manipulative, and abusive. He is a dangerous man driven by greed, and I urge any other women who have been pursued by him to contact me, if only to ensure that you are supported.

“My team has remained steadfast throughout this investigation for more than a year and a half; they searched diligently until they found Norma and relentlessly pursued the truth of what happened to her. I am extremely proud that we were able to return Norma to her family and witness the jury convict her killer.

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