Where Are Harun and Hava Palu Now?

In HBO’s ‘The Palu Family: Under a Dark Spell,’ the primary focus is on the horrific crimes and dark secrets of the Palu family, led by Tuncan Ustael. The Turkish true crime documentary series also navigates the lives of Harun and Hava Palu before everything turned upside down for the otherwise tight-knit family. Both Harun and Hava played huge roles in the apprehension of Tuncan, who took advantage of the family members’ beliefs in Harun’s temporary absence.

Harun Palu Got Involved in Ahmet’s Killing, While Hava Palu Testified Against Tuncer Ustael

Harun and Hava Palu shared five children between them, including two sons, İsa and Fatih Palu, and three daughters, Meryem, Ayşe, and Emine. Meryem was married to Ahmet Tahnal, who allegedly was forcing her to sleep with other men. In order to avoid the situation, Meryem moved to the Palu household. When Ahmet came looking for her, the family called the police, who took him into custody. After getting released, Ahmet soon showed up at Harun’s home again to take Meryem back to his house in 2008. When things got out of hand and a heated altercation erupted, Harun ended up shooting him to death. He was sentenced to more than six years in prison for the homicide. He was also reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia at some point.

By the time Harun was released from prison in 2011, Emine’s husband, Tuncer Ustael, had killed Meryem and her daughter, Melike. When he tried to stop Tuncer from controlling his family, he noticed that they all supported Tuncer. It led to a nervous breakdown, sending him into a mental institution. All the members, including Hava Palu, were taken into custody in 2011, when Hava testified to police that Tuncer had killed Meryem and Melike. Lacking evidence, they were released from prison. However, years later, in 2018, the reinvestigation of the case led to the arrests of Emine, Tuncer, Harun, Hava, İsa, Ayşe, and Fatih. However, Harun was released, while the others remained in custody.

While Harun is in a Better Place Healthwise, Hava is Battling Health Concerns

In the trial of Tuncer Ustael, Hava Palu claimed that the defendant made the most of his influence over the Palu family. She stated (translated), “He scared us by saying he would unleash jinns upon us if we didn’t do what he said. We gave him money whenever he wanted. One day, he ordered us to leave our house and live in a car with him, claiming the protection from jinns.” She also claimed that Tuncer also forced her son İsa to help her bury Meryem’s remains, after which he ordered them not to get the police involved. Her testimony was corroborated by other members of the family, leading to Tuncer’s conviction and sentencing.

However, in February 2020, Hava Palu was also sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison for “complicity in the crime” alongside other members of the family. She was also sentenced to an additional one year and six months in prison for “aiding in the deprivation of liberty.” However, since multiple defendants were represented by the same defense attorney, the convictions were overturned. In 2023, the retrial at the Kocaeli 7th High Criminal Court also led to a similar outcome. In October 2023, Hava was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for “abetting intentional homicide.” As of today, Harun is in a relatively stable condition, while his incarcerated wife, Hava, is going through multiple health issues due to her age and spends most of her time in hospitals.

Read More: Tuncer Ustael: Where is the Killer Now?