Man sentenced to 12 years for killing cousin he helped search for in West Kazakhstan

October 5, 2026 at 03:36 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A 26-year-old man in West Kazakhstan's Zhanibek district was sentenced to 12 years in a medium-security penal colony for stabbing his 18-year-old cousin at least 15 times on May 19. He buried the body in a garbage pit behind the house and then joined relatives in an eight-day search for the missing youth, posting about the disappearance on social media. The crime was uncovered through witness testimony.

Key Facts

The murder occurred on the night of May 19 during a quarrel at the dinner table in Zhanibek district, West Kazakhstan region.
The 26-year-old man stabbed his 18-year-old cousin at least 15 times with a kitchen knife and also beat him.
The victim died at the scene from his injuries.
The killer buried the body in a garbage pit behind the house and then slept.
For eight days, the man joined relatives in searching for the missing youth and posted about the disappearance on social media.
The court sentenced the man to 12 years in a medium-security penal colony and ordered compulsory treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.

The Killing

The incident took place on the night of May 19 during a gathering at the dinner table. A 26-year-old man quarreled with his relative and stabbed his 18-year-old cousin at least 15 times with a kitchen knife. He also beat the victim, who died at the scene from his injuries. After the killing, the man buried the body in a garbage pit behind the house and then went to sleep.

Search and Deception

For the next eight days, the man participated in the search for the missing youth together with relatives. He even published posts about the disappearance on social media and stayed close to family members who did not know the body was hidden. The crime was uncovered through witness testimony.

Sentence and Treatment

The court found the man guilty of murder and sentenced him to 12 years in a medium-security penal colony. The court also ordered compulsory treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.