Account
Dec 12, 2008
Jul 09, 2019
Raed
Alfarah
48
27
70 inches
180 lbs
Other
Male
In the fall of 2003, Raed Nayef Alfarah, a 27-year-old man from Jordan, was pursuing his second master's degree at Wayne State University in Michigan. Known by his nickname Ray, he was described as a white male with black hair and brown eyes, standing at 5'10" and weighing around 180 pounds. He occasionally wore eyeglasses with silver metal frames and had a distinctive tattoo on his right shoulder. On the evening of October 16, 2003, Raed was last seen at the Sky Club, a bar in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. The last known activity from him was a voicemail check at 10:30 p.m. that same night. After that, all communication from him ceased. Concern grew when his uncle, Osama Al-Farah, was unable to reach him the following day, which was highly uncharacteristic of Raed. Four days after he was last seen, his family officially reported him as a missing person. The investigation into Raed's disappearance quickly uncovered unsettling evidence. A week after he went missing, his purple 1996 Chevrolet Camaro was discovered abandoned and stripped of its parts near the 3400 block of Lovett Street in Detroit. This discovery, coupled with the abrupt halt in his phone and bank activity, pointed towards a grim scenario. The focus of the investigation soon turned to two of his business associates, Samer Fawaz and Bashar Farraj. Investigators came to believe that Raed was killed in the Sterling Heights office of their mortgage firm. Evidence found at the scene was substantial, including a significant amount of Raed's blood on the carpet and walls, as well as in Farraj's vehicle. A secretary at the firm later testified to seeing the two men cleaning what they claimed was spilled cranberry juice. It was also reported that at the time of his disappearance, all three men were under investigation for potential mortgage fraud. In November 2003, both Samer Fawaz and Bashar Farraj were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Raed's case. During the trial, prosecutors argued that the duo had killed Raed, likely by a blow to the head, at their mortgage office. The defense, however, contended that Raed might have fled the country to avoid prosecution for mortgage fraud, a theory that was considered by an FBI agent early in the investigation. Despite the compelling forensic evidence, the absence of a body presented a significant challenge. In June 2005, a jury acquitted Fawaz and Farraj of the first-degree murder and conspiracy charges but found them guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Fawaz was subsequently sentenced to 20 to 50 years in prison, while Farraj received a sentence of 25 to 50 years. To this day, Raed Alfarah's body has never been recovered, leaving his family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. The case remains a somber reminder of a promising life cut short, with the full story of his final moments likely to remain unknown.
Oct 16, 2003
Madison Heights
Michigan
Oakland County
19869
Madison Heights Police Department
Madison Heights
Michigan
Oakland County
48071
280 W 13 Mile Rd., Michigan
2485852100
Local
Law Enforcement
03-26047
Madison Heights Police Department
5474
Black
Brown
Brown
No
06/15/2026
