Woman found dead in Jordan Lake had been shot in the back, autopsy shows

PITTSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- An Apex woman whose body was found in Jordan Lake last year had been shot in the back, according to a medical examiner's report released Monday.

Hadeel Ghadhanfer Hikmat, 34, was discovered in the lake on Aug 29. Her husband is accused of dumping her body into the lake and has been charged with first-degree murder.

The North Carolina Medical Examier's Office noted that Hikmat had a gunshot wound to the back and labeled the manner of death as "homicide."

The cause of death was listed as "pending" in the report as authorities worked to determine whether she died from the shooting or drowned as a result of being dropped into the popular Chatham County lake afterward. A subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death was the gunshot wound to the back.

"While it is possible that drowning may have played a role in this death, there were no overt signs of such at autopsy, and the severity of the gunshot wound injuries makes it likely that she would have died prior to submersion having a chance to significantly contribute," the autopsy said.

The Medical Examiner noted she was not wearing a life preserver. She was found fully clothed, wearing jeans, a shirt and socks as well as undergarments.

In September, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office arrested Omar Matthew Ibrahim Drabick in his wife's death. He was charged with murder and concealment of an unnatural death.

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"I don't know exactly if I'm happy that Omar is in jail or sad because of my sister's murder, Hadeel. Nothing can get her back," Firas Hikmat, Hadeel's brother, told ABC11 at the time.

Court documents revealed that investigators believe Drabick killed Hikmat and then tossed her body off a bridge into Jordan Lake.

According to the autopsy, Hikmat's body was found floating approximately 700 yards from the bridge where investigators said they believed she was possibly injured or dumped into the lake. Authorities found a 9mm shell casing, blood spatter, and an earring that appeared to match her other jewelry on the bridge.