Coroner: Death of KSU Ashtabula student ruled a homicide

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Rand Hilal Al Dulaimi 

Valerie Royzman

The Ashtabula County Coroner’s Office ruled on Thursday a Kent State Ashtabula student whose body was found in Saybrook Township on July 24 was murdered.

Rand Hilal Al Dulaimi died from neck compression and blunt force head trauma, Ashtabula County Coroner Pamela Lancaster confirmed.

Al Dulaimi, 23, disappeared on July 9, and the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office began its search on July 11, when she was reported missing by her family.

Authorities discovered Al Dulaimi’s body in a wooded area near North Bend Road in Ashtabula, which was close to her last known location — the home of her estranged husband, Jeffrey Stanley.

Stanley, 28, was named a person of interest early in the case, but he has not been charged in connection with her death.

Stanley was arrested on July 14 and was booked at the Ashtabula County Jail on an unrelated parole violation.

Federal officials arrested Stanley on July 31, and he was indicted on child pornography charges. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stanley was indicted on one count of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of possession of child pornography.

“Stanley knowingly received numerous images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” the press release said. “This took place between Sept. 4, 2016 and Feb. 22, 2017, according to the indictment.”

Al Dulaimi was a biotechnology major at the Ashtabula campus. She was registered for classes this fall, but died before the semester could begin.

Al Dulaimi was also a mother to young son Omar, who was in custody of the Ashtabula County Children Services Board when she disappeared.

According to a press release from the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, “the investigation into Al Dulaimi’s death is ongoing,” and the office is awaiting final lab results from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Valerie Royzman is the features editor. Contact her at [email protected].