After 16 months in a Turkish prison, a foreign tourist who was accused of throwing her boyfriend off the balcony of a hotel room during their holiday in Turkey has finally been released. Despite the initial charge of murder, the court concluded that the woman was not guilty.
The incident took place in March 2022 at the five-star Side Star Elegance Hotel in the Turkish city of Side. Then 23-year-old British citizen, Rhys Pegram, was found dead after falling from a balcony. Throughout the investigation, hotel staff and prosecutors claimed the young man was murdered and blamed Rhys’ 32-year-old girlfriend, Caylee Myers, for his death. Initially, she faced 25 years in prison.
However, after 16 months of waiting for a court decision, a Turkish court overturned the murder charge and released the woman. The court decision stated that there was no sufficient and convincing evidence of her guilt. Kayleigh Myers has been allowed to return home to the UK. In an interview with The Sun, she shared that this is “the end of a nightmare” for her.
Rhys Pegram’s death report indicated the presence of alcohol and cocaine in his blood. Kaylie Myers admitted that they both drank all day after their arrival and fought over the alleged infidelity. While she was treating her glass-cut hand in the bathroom, she heard a knock and thought her boyfriend had left, slamming the door behind him. At night, the police came to her.
During the trial, lawyer Caylee Myers noted that the use of drugs and antidepressants could affect the mental state of Rees. The autopsy report also said he fell off the balcony feet first.
The woman returned home, but her reputation remained damaged. She said she lost her job, home, friends, and family because of the allegations. She does not wish to add to the pain of Rhys’ family but wants people to know that she was not responsible for his death.