The parents of the two sisters found dead on the edge of the Hudson River in Manhattan have reportedly countered police claims that the younger sister had been missing for months, and say they do not believe the sisters committed suicide.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, authorities identified the bodies as Tala Farea, 16, and Rotana Farea, 22, two sisters from Fairfax, Virginia. CNN reported that Tala was reported missing in August.
A passerby spotted the bodies on the edge of the Hudson River near Manhattan’s Riverside Park on Wednesday, and contacted authorities. Investigators initially said they believed the bodies, which were bound together at the ankles and possibly at the waist, belonged to women aged 25-30 years old, who may have been lovers who died in a suicide pact. The police sketch released showed a striking physical resemblance between the females. After the bodies were identified, a law enforcement source told ABC News that investigators still believed the teen and the young woman may have bound their bodies together and jumped to their deaths.
Arab News, an English-language newspaper published in Saudi Arabia, reports having made contact with the girls’ family, who said that Tala’s missing persons report first made in August was withdrawn after she was found to be living with her sister in New York. The report does not identify or directly quote the parents. According to the report, both sisters were reported missing about a week ago after their family lost contact with them.
A medical examiner is still working to determine the cause of the sisters’ death. They were no visible signs of trauma to the bodies.
