CHICAGO — Authorities said that earlier this month, officers investigating the residence of a man accused of fatally stabbing another guy who was on the roof of a restaurant in Chicago discovered the body of a young woman inside the refrigerator of the suspect’s apartment.
Iman Al-Sarraj, 18, whose battered body was discovered in early July inside a refrigerator at Brandon Sanders’ apartment in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, has not been charged in connection with Sanders’ killing. Sanders is 33 years old.
According to WLS-TV, he was taken into custody on June 29 and charged with murder, robbery, and burglary in connection with the death of Rasim Katanic, a 69-year-old refugee from the Bosnian War who had been murdered in May.
The security tape, according to the prosecution, shows Sanders ascending a stairwell on May 12 in order to reach a rooftop where Katanic was working on a cooler compressor atop Tahoora Sweets & Bakery. Later, the body of Katanic, which had been stabbed to death, was discovered on that roof.
During the hearing to determine whether or not Sanders should be released on bail, Sanders’ counsel stated, “There are some issues with a mental state.” Sanders has not been released on bail since his arrest.
Aida Sutardio, Katanic’s daughter, informed the Chicago Sun-Times that although her father had retired at the age of 66, he continued to perform maintenance work for loyal customers of his heating, ventilation, and air conditioning firm. One of these customers was the restaurant where he was found on the roof.
She stated that she is having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact “that he was slaughtered on top of a roof.” “We never thought that this would be how his life would end,” added Sutardio.
On Friday, members of the Associated Press left voicemails with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in an effort to obtain comment on the current state of the investigation into Al-Sarraj’s passing.
According to Al-Sarraj’s father, Khalil Sarraj, he immigrated to the United States from Israel, and shortly thereafter settled in Chicago, where his daughter was born. “My heart is shattered in a million pieces,” he added. “My heart is shattered in a million pieces.”
