Who was Hadeel Hikmat? North Carolina authorities identify woman found dead in Lake Jordan 

Authorities have identified the deceased woman whose body was found in Jordan Lake, as 34-year-old Hadeel Hikmat. On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, a boater discovered a woman's body near the Farrington Point Boat Ramp at 605 Farrington Point Road. For about a week, authorities had no leads about the victim's identity. However, they were recently able to identify her with the help of fingerprint analysis.

Hikmat was reportedly a resident of North Carolina's Apex and law enforcement officials believe that her death is neither self-inflicted nor accidental in nature. However, it is yet to be determined how Hikmat died, and how her body ended up in the river.

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34-year-old Hadeel Hikmat was described as being dedicated and ambitious

Hadeel was reportedly originally from Baghdad, Iraq, and studied chemical engineering. In 2022, she shifted to North Carolina, after marrying Omar Drabick. She reportedly recently started working at a Walmart outlet near her house.

Hikmat's brother, Firas Hikmat, who lives in Istanbul told ABC11 that he was worried about the 34-year-old woman's safety before she vanished. Firas was heartbroken when he heard about the news and revealed that his sister and her husband reportedly had frequent arguments.

Firas Hikmat further described his sister as being very dedicated and ambitious. He additionally said that she was working two jobs to help her husband financially.

Local residents and neighbors described the couple as being quiet and friendly. They also revealed that they hadn't seen either Hadeel Hikmat or Omar since the end of August. As she was quite close to her family, Firas said that he was concerned as she had recently been distant from them.

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Authorities obtained a search warrant for the victim's Apex and Raleigh residences

Hikmat's remains were discovered shortly before 2:30 pm local time on August 29. Chatham County Sheriff’s Office ruled her death as a homicide and an investigation into the case is currently underway.

Officers initially shared a sketch of the victim after her remains were found. She was described as having tan skin, dark eyes, and brown hair. Hadeel Hikmat was reported to be of Middle Eastern or Latin American heritage before her official identification took place. Along with the sketch, authorities also revealed that they found an earring close to where Hadeel was found.

Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said:

"We’re still relying on the community’s assistance in providing Hadeel Hikmat’s family with the answers they deserve in their loved one’s passing."

Roberson further issued a written statement, in which he mentioned:

"Behind every case, there’s a person who is somebody’s loved one. We urge the public to remember that this victim is someone’s family member, and we are committed to bringing closure to both the victim’s loved ones and our community."

The authorities stated that several families reached out to them and claimed that they knew Hadeel Hikmat, however, nobody could officially identify the body.

Chatham County Sheriff's Office mentioned that they obtained a search warrant for Hikmat's houses in Apex and Raleigh. ABC11 reported that the house in Raleigh belongs to Hadeel's husband, Omar Drabick's parents.

The family told the publication that they are currently grieving the loss of their loved one and their attorney Nardine Guirguis said:

"The entire family is grieving... The family is going through a grieving process. They are very much in pain, and I think that that happens whenever you have a loss in the family."

Guirguis said that the family, including Hadeel's husband and in-laws, are cooperating with authorities in the murder investigation. ABC11 reported that officers were spotted going in and out of the Raleigh residence, and collected bags of evidence. They reportedly also towed a vehicle away.

Omar's sister said that cops had their guns drawn when they came to their house to investigate on Friday. She also added that her cell phone and her dad's laptop were taken away.

Authorities are yet to report what they found during their search of Hadeel Hikmat's houses in Apex and Raleigh. They are also yet to identify a suspect in the case and no information about the same has been revealed as of this writing. The officials have requested anybody with information about the same to reach out to them immediately.