The guy who ordered his 15-man death squad to kill and dismember American journalist Kashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. They disposed of the body parts in acid true or false

Checked on November 30, 2025
Disclaimer: Factually can make mistakes. Please verify important information or breaking news. Learn more.

Executive summary

Available reporting establishes that Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, by a team of Saudi operatives; U.S. intelligence later assessed the crown prince likely ordered the assassination [1] [2]. Turkish prosecutors and multiple news investigations say Khashoggi’s body was dismembered inside the consulate; whether the remains were dissolved in acid is reported as an allegation in some outlets and by Turkish officials but is not uniformly confirmed in the sources provided [3] [4].

1. What investigators agree on: the killing and a team sent from Saudi Arabia

Journalistic and government reporting cited here says Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a team of Saudi operatives who flew to Turkey for the mission; U.S. intelligence concluded the operation was approved at the highest levels, and Saudi authorities later prosecuted several people in connection with the killing [2] [1] [4].

2. Dismemberment: Turkish prosecutors and multiple news reports state it occurred

Turkish prosecutors and several news outlets reported that Khashoggi’s body was dismembered inside the consulate; public summaries and encyclopedic accounts state the Istanbul chief prosecutor said the body was dismembered and disposed of, and contemporaneous reporting describes a bone saw and other instruments being referenced by investigators [3] [2] [4].

3. The acid allegation: reported, alleged, not uniformly corroborated in these sources

Some sources and Turkish-linked commentary suggested the body was dissolved in acid — for example, a Turkish adviser and parts of the Turkish reporting hinted at dissolving or cremation and Al Jazeera suggested possible cremation in an oven at a consular residence — but the material here presents that as allegation and speculation rather than a uniformly established forensic conclusion [4] [5]. The phrase “dissolving in acid” appears in some accounts as a claim, not as a universally accepted, independently verified forensic finding in the sources provided [4].

4. Conflicting official narratives and cover-up allegations

Saudi Arabia initially denied Khashoggi’s death, then offered shifting explanations — that he left the consulate, then that he died in a fistfight, and later that the killing was premeditated — while Turkish authorities said the consulate was bugged and captured audio; investigative reporting and U.S. intelligence later accused Saudi agents of an organized operation and a cover-up [3] [4] [2].

5. Who ordered it: intelligence assessments versus Saudi denials

A U.S. intelligence assessment found that the crown prince likely ordered the killing, a conclusion widely reported in U.S. media cited here; Mohammed bin Salman has denied personal responsibility even as some Saudi statements have characterized the killing as a “huge mistake” and Saudi courts have prosecuted individuals [2] [1] [6]. The sources show clear disagreement between U.S. intelligence findings and the crown prince’s denials [7].

6. Legal outcomes and accountability remain partial

Saudi courts sentenced some people in connection with the killing, and the U.S. sanctioned several Saudi nationals; however, key suspects remained outside Turkish jurisdiction, and calls for fuller accountability — including the release of related transcripts and more transparent prosecutions — have persisted in reporting cited here [4] [8] [2].

7. Media, politics and competing agendas shape how the story is told

Coverage of grisly details — dismemberment, bone saws, and claims about acid — circulated widely and fueled international outrage. At the same time, diplomatic and political considerations (U.S.–Saudi relations, differing presidential statements cited here) shaped official responses and the public framing of evidence, which can amplify certain allegations while leaving others less clearly corroborated [9] [10] [11].

8. What these sources do not settle — and what to watch for

The sources collected here document dismemberment as a prosecutor’s finding and record claims about dissolving remains in acid, but they do not provide a single, court-admitted forensic report in these excerpts definitively proving acid disposal. Available sources do not mention a unified forensic confirmation of acid dissolution; investigators, journalists and governments have differed on specific disposal methods in their accounts [4] [3].

Conclusion: multiple reputable sources report that Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate and that his body was dismembered; allegations that remains were dissolved in acid appear in Turkish-linked reporting and commentary but are presented as contested claims in the material provided rather than a universally accepted, independently verified fact [3] [4] [5].

Want to dive deeper?
What evidence links Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Jamal Khashoggi's murder?
Were Khashoggi's body parts dismembered and dissolved in acid inside the Saudi consulate?
What did the UN and CIA conclude about responsibility for Khashoggi's killing?
What legal actions have been taken against Saudi operatives involved in Khashoggi's murder?
How did international governments and media respond after the Khashoggi killing revelations?