Unsolved 1966 double murder of US Lieutenant and driver in Düzce

A 1966 armed attack near the Çilimli junction in Düzce, Turkey, remains unsolved decades later. The incident occurred on September 6, 1966, involving a taxi traveling from Istanbul to Ankara. The victims were American Lieutenant Brenda L. Howard and taxi driver Muharrem Çelik, both of whom were shot and killed during the robbery.

Musician Birol Soyulgan, who was traveling in the vehicle, survived the attack with serious injuries. According to Soyulgan, two individuals boarded the taxi during the journey, drew weapons near Düzce, robbed the passengers of their money, and opened fire.

A high-level investigation was launched involving experts from the General Directorate of Security and American detectives. While fingerprints were found on a discarded pistol magazine, they could not be identified. Several suspects were detained over the years, including individuals who initially confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements in court. Despite various leads and investigations conducted in 1967 and 1968, the case remains closed without a conviction.