Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Disappeared: One Way Ticket’ takes us back in time to the 2009 case of Hatice Corbacioglu. When she made a trip to New York, she failed to stay connected to anyone from her family and friends. But when several weeks passed without any update from her end, her loved ones became concerned about her well-being and reported her missing. As the investigators dived deep into the case, some unexpected secrets unraveled. The episode also features exclusive interviews with Hatice’s close ones and the officials involved in the investigation.
Hatice Corbacioglu Went Missing While Visiting Her Boyfriend
In 1993, Yusuf Çorbacıoğlu left his life in Turkey behind and relocated to Canada, seemingly in search of better economic opportunities. He strived hard and built a bright future for his family, especially his beloved daughters, Aysel and Hatice. The latter was born in 1977 and spent her formative years in her homeland. The transition to the Great White North in her mid-teens had a significant impact on Hatice’s personality, and she grew up to become a free-spirited woman with a real zest for life. She shares a close-knit bond with her family and is known to be a person of an affable nature.
A hardworking individual, Hatice had bagged employment in the logistics department of a rubber factory, where she had been working as a forklift operator. However, the 32-year-old wasn’t that lucky on the personal front; she had tied the knot twice, but both unions ended in divorce. Nevertheless, Hatice developed hope in December 2008 when she met a man named Riza Cosa at a party in New York and was enamored by his charm. When their paths crossed, he had been working as a welder at a steel plant. Soon, the two took their fondness to another level and got into a relationship.
Following that, Hatice visited Riza in the Empire State on several occasions. She was on cloud nine and had seemingly even shared with her family that she believed she finally found the one. While Hatice and Riza were dating, the latter was reportedly married to Winsome Angela Perez. According to her friends, she was aware of her partner’s marital status and was told by him that he was getting divorced. After the divorce would settle, Hatice and Riza were planning to tie the knot. On June 13, 2009, Hatice decided to take a trip from her property in Toronto, Ontario, all the way to New York State to meet Riza.
Reportedly, Hatice had booked a flight to Turkey, her boyfriend’s country, for June 21. Not only did she stop answering her phone calls, but her car was also abandoned at the John F. Kennedy Airport. Her loved ones were also told that she never boarded the plane to Turkey that day. Immediately, Hatice’s family reported her missing, after which the police launched an investigation. One of the detectives of the case stated, “She traveled to the States numerous times before, and every time she had daily contact with her family and friends, and this time when she crossed the border she never talked to them again. It’s absolutely out of the ordinary.” Following her disappearance, her bank account remained touched.
With Riza being one of the last persons Hatice was with, her family questioned him more than a few times, inquiring about her whereabouts. However, his story kept on changing; at one point in time, he told them that she had gone to visit his family in Turkey, while on the other, he informed them that she had gone to southern Arabia. Amidst so much uncertainty, Hatice’s father, Yusuf, decided to travel to both New York and Turkey, where he expected to find his daughter, to post flyers of her and spread awareness about her disappearance. A few reports also suggested that Hatice had been spotted in Turkey around the same time.
However, one of the investigators stated, “Turkey has no record of her legal entry into the country. Her country of origin is Turkey and she could easily enter using her proper identification. She’s got a Canadian passport, so there’s no reason why she would have to (enter Turkey illegally).” Almost a year later, when a woman’s body was found inside a bag in a Long Island steel factory, Hatice’s loved ones were worried that it might be hers. But the body turned out to be of Riza’s wife, Winsome Angela Perez, who had also vanished in July 2009. On July 30, a few days after his wife’s mysterious disappearance, Riza also fled to Turkey with a one-way wicket. Soon, he became a person of interest as an international search for him began.
Hatice Corbacioglu Remains Missing While Her Loved Ones Are Still Hopeful
Right after Riza traveled to his native land, he reportedly jumped from the ninth floor of a 10-storey building in his hometown of Sivas and died of suicide. According to reports, the 29-year-old suspect even left a note wherein he admitted that his biggest mistake was to fall in love with a Canadian woman, Hatice Corbacioglu. Even a decade into her disappearance, her cell phone, social media accounts, and bank accounts showed no signs of activity. It was in early 2019, particularly on April 1, that the police department of the metropolis officially urged the citizens to keep an eye out for any information that could signify the whereabouts of Hatice.
In their appeal, the authorities emphasized the urgency of the matter and earnestly requested the people to come forward with any detail related to the case, no matter how insignificant it might seem on the surface. During an interview with Toronto Sun in April 2019, one of the detectives of the Missing Person Unit stated, “It’s been quite some time since the initial investigation, and we wanted to put it back out there hoping someone will have information. We won’t know what may have happened until we actually find her.” As of writing, Hatice Corbacioglu is still missing, with her disappearance classified as endangered. Though the case remains unsolved, the police are still looking for leads while her family and loved ones are holding onto hope for her safe return.
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