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Two Saudi sisters found dead along the banks of the Hudson River said they would rather commit suicide than return to Saudi Arabia, the New York Police Department told investigators.
But until now, investigators have found no credible evidence that Rotana Farea, 22, and Tala Farea, 16, have been victims of a criminal offense, said the head of the police. Dermot Shea detectives to reporters at a press conference Friday afternoon.
[Original story published at 1:09 p.m. ET]
Investigators get a more accurate picture of the last weeks of two Saudi sisters before they are found dead on the banks of the Hudson River.
According to the credit card records reviewed by the New York Police Department, Rotana Farea, 22, and Tala Farea, 16, arrived in Philadelphia from Philadelphia two months ago after a visit to Washington.
More than a week after the discovery of their bodies, investigators have so far given few answers on how the sisters – last seen together on August 24 in Fairfax, Virginia – have ended up dead dead feet and waist tied together on a York shore, the Upper West Side.
A spokesman for the New York Police Department did not specify the means of transportation used by the sisters nor the precise times of their visit to each city. The detectives analyze downtown Manhattan for surveillance footage and testimonials to reconstruct their whereabouts.
And it was not the first time the sisters disappeared. By December, they would have disappeared for a day, the Fairfax County police said.
Officer Tara Gerhard, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax Department, said the sisters had been "referred to the services", but she could not say what kind of service or offer any additional details. , citing privacy laws.
The sisters are both Saudi citizens and the consulate general of their country has been in touch with their family and has appointed a lawyer for the investigation.
Investigators suspect suicide, says officer
Until now, investigators have found nothing that could indicate that they were victims of a criminal offense, according to a law enforcement official who reportedly spoke to CNN under cover of anonymity.
The investigators believe that their deaths are suicides, said the official, but they investigate the circumstances surrounding them.
The New York Police Department is not ready to determine the official causes of death. The authorities are investigating whether deaths result from a suicide, a homicide or an accident, said Phil Walzak, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information for the New York police.
Did the sisters ask for asylum?
Saudi officials are asking whether the sisters have sought asylum in the United States, a Saudi official told CNN.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security refused to comment and asked questions to the New York police.
New York Police Detective Chief Dermot Shea said Wednesday that detectives have been to Virginia to conduct interviews with immediate family members to shed light on "what was happening in the lives of these two young women ".
"We have made significant progress in piecing together the pieces of this puzzle to find out what happened," he said.
Dakin Andone, Elise Labott, CNN Athena Jones and Madeleine Thompson contributed to this report.
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