Two men, three women charged with murder in Faraya car chase attack

BEIRUT — Five people were charged with manslaughter on Tuesday in the case of the killing of 20-year-old Khalil Khalil last February in the Kesrouan district village of Faraya, after a dispute on the road over right-of-way.

The Mount Lebanon indictment chamber, presided over by Judge Dora al-Khazen and composed of Ali Khatib and Hamza Sharafeddine, issued the indictment and referred “all those present at the scene of the crime” to the Mount Lebanon Criminal Court, a judicial source told L'Orient Today.

These include J.C. and R.S. and their two girlfriends, as well as J.C.'s mother — all of whom are in custody except for J.C.'s mother's partner, who is currently on the run.

How we got here

Is the Faraya murder investigation being obstructed?

The indictment chamber released the man who helped R.S. and J.C. flee to Eyat, a village in northern Lebanon's Akkar district, before their arrest, the same source said, noting that he spent five months in pre-trial detention.

Khalil was killed on the night of Feb. 1, when R.S., got into an argument with Khalil over right-of-way on the road. He then contacted J.C. and asked him to chase Khalil. Sensing that he was being followed, Khalil rushed to the hotel in Faraya owned by his father, while calling his brother for help.

Khalil pulled into the hotel's parking lot, stopped the car and got out, at which point J.C., whose girlfriend was with him in the car, ran Khalil over several times with his vehicle. J.C.'s girlfriend was with him in the car.

Khalil's brother arrived at the scene just as J.C. was leaving the parking lot. He reportedly pursued J.C. and managed to block his path, but then R.S. reappeared in his car, as did J.C.'s mother and a friend of the mother, R.A.

All three are said to have helped J.C. escape, as Khalil was being transported to Saint-Georges Hospital in Ajaltoun district by his sister's fiance. Khalil reportedly died from his injuries en route to the hospital.