Family Investigates Grandson’s Death in Turkey, Suspecting Murder

Tyler Kerry had eagerly awaited his initial family vacation for nine months. Yet, less than 36 hours after arriving in Turkey, he was discovered deceased at the base of a hotel elevator shaft. Despite official police statements, his family believes he was murdered and is undertaking their own investigation. Mr. Kerry, accompanied by his grandparents, girlfriend Molly, and other relatives, arrived in Antalya on November 27. The 20-year-old had been enjoying all the amenities the Antalya resort offered, including lounging by the pool, having drinks with family, and making new friends. His brother, Mason Read, was the last person to see him alive in the early hours of November 29. He recounted that a group of them were drinking in the lounge area before spending approximately 10 minutes in an on-site hotel nightclub. They then returned to the ground-floor lounge area, where Mr. Kerry’s brother last observed him removing his jacket, T-shirt, and shoes before going to sleep on a sofa. “I went to the bar to get a drink came back and Tyler was not there, his clothes were but his phone wasn’t,” Mr. Read explained. A frantic search throughout the hotel ensued, and Mr. Read, along with Mr. Kerry’s girlfriend, found him fatally injured at the bottom of the lift shaft. They stated that hotel staff pointed to the shaft when asked if they had seen someone matching Mr. Kerry’s appearance. After his discovery, his trousers and a blood-covered vape were located on the first floor of the hotel. In the week since Mr. Kerry’s death, the family has been collecting what they consider to be potential evidence, which they hope will be examined by British police. This includes his trousers and the bloodied vape. The family also photographed all nearby CCTV cameras at the hotel and believes some footage has not been reviewed. They said they gathered statements and phone numbers from fellow guests and potential witnesses, who they claim have not been interviewed by police. Mrs. Kerry stated: “In our country, every bit of evidence would have been taken from the crime scene.” “You wouldn’t have been able to touch that place until forensics had been through it.” “But a couple of hours later, I’m told the lift has been cleaned and is up and running.” Mr. Kerry’s aunt, Naomi Kerry, remarked: “It’s so hard for [the family, they’re] going to be living with it for a long time now.” “They have got to do so much digging and can’t grieve.” The family has contacted Essex Police, requesting the force to examine the case. Mrs. Kerry said: “This isn’t just about my grandson, I don’t want anyone else going through this.” “It’s all taking its toll, it’s hard. Someone needs to step up and do a job, it shouldn’t be down to us and social media.” His family has pledged to “non-stop fight for justice.” Mr. Read and a fellow guest expressed that they felt hotel staff acted inappropriately in their handling of the aftermath of Mr. Kerry’s body being found. Boards brought out to shield the area were covered in Halloween decorations, including ones that had “blood dripping down,” Mr. Read described. “It was like they were taking the mick,” he explained. A guest at the hotel told the BBC she also saw the bloody decorations on the board which she felt were inappropriate. Tyler’s grandmother, Collette Kerry, said she was “absolutely disgusted” by the police investigation and its conclusion. In a statement, the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey affirmed it had “meticulously” investigated the case and described Mr. Kerry as having fallen from a height. “There was no proof of firearm or sharp object injuries, there were broken parts – thought as they were owing to the falling down – and intense blood congestion on the head was observed,” a spokesperson said. “According to the statements, Mr Kerry went to the club at night and was under the influence of alcohol, died falling down from the first floor.” They stated there was no evidence of “intervention” on his body. However, his family believes crucial evidence was not collected and that Mr. Kerry was murdered. The family stated that the bloodied vape and Tyler’s trousers were not collected by police, but were instead given to them. Mr. Read characterized the investigation as “pitiful” and emphasized the need for police to do more. “It’s killing me sitting here thinking of all the things that could have happened to him,” he said. The family reported that other guests informed them the hotel cleaned the area around the lift shaft, including blood, and had the lift back in operation within hours of Mr. Kerry’s body being found. They are concerned potential evidence was lost as a result. Turkish authorities indicated that a final autopsy result was anticipated in two months’ time. Updates on Essex news can be accessed via BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external websites. Further details on its external linking policy are available.