A fugitive accused of double murder in Albania and a separate killing in Belgium has been arrested in Ohio after nearly three decades on the run.
The arrest of Sokol Hoxhaj on May 5 in the U.S. state of Ohio marks the end of a long international manhunt involving authorities from Albania, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
According to case details from law enforcement investigations, Hoxhaj was convicted in Albania for the March 1997 killing of two Banaj brothers in Patos and later became a suspect in the murder of Albanian national Brunilda Dervishi in Belgium several months afterward. He was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison by Albanian courts, while Belgian authorities separately pursued him for homicide and alleged involvement in organized exploitation-related activity.
Investigators allege that after fleeing Albania, Hoxhaj moved through Greece before settling in Belgium, where he reportedly used connections linked to prostitution networks. He is suspected of having entered into a fraudulent marriage with Dervishi before a violent dispute led to her death in Brussels. Following the incident, he is believed to have escaped again, using falsified identity documents to travel to the United Kingdom and later the United States, where he lived under a different identity for years.
The breakthrough in the case came after coordinated efforts between European and U.S. agencies, which used fingerprint records, archival photographs, and cross-border identity verification to confirm his true identity. Investigators intensified efforts in 2021, gradually narrowing down his location until his arrest in Ohio was executed earlier this month.
U.S. authorities are currently reviewing extradition requests from both Albania and Belgium, where Hoxhaj is expected to face trial for multiple serious charges, including murder and related criminal allegations. The final decision on extradition will depend on ongoing legal proceedings in American courts.
The case has drawn renewed attention due to its long timeline, international scope, and the complexity of identity concealment across multiple countries over several decades.
Oculus News will continue to follow this developing story.