Current:Home > InvestAfghan refugee pleads no contest to 2 murders in case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community -AssetScope
Afghan refugee pleads no contest to 2 murders in case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community
View
Date:2025-04-11 23:13:39
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Afghan refugee convicted of first-degree murder in one of three fatal shootings in 2022 that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim community pleaded no contest Tuesday to two homicide charges stemming from the other killings.
Prosecutors said Muhammad Syed, 53, entered the pleas to two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain.
A jury had convicted Syed in March in the shooting death of Aftab Hussein, 41, in July 2022.
The three ambush-style killings happened over the course of several days, leaving authorities scrambling to determine if race or religion might have been behind the shootings. Investigators soon shifted away from possible hate crimes to what prosecutors called the “willful and very deliberate” actions of another member of the Muslim community.
Syed, who settled in the U.S. with his family several years earlier, denied involvement in the killings after being stopped more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Albuquerque. He told authorities he was on his way to Texas to find a new home for his family, saying he was concerned about the killings in Albuquerque.
Bernalillo County prosecutors say Syed faces a life prison sentence in Aftab Hussein’s killings and will serve 30 years behind bars for the no-contest pleas. A sentencing date hasn’t been set.
Authorities said Afzaal Hussain, an urban planner, was gunned down Aug. 1, 2022, while taking his evening walk. Naeem Hussain was shot four days later as he sat in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency on the city’s south side. Aftab Hussein was a student leader at the University of New Mexico who was active in politics and later worked for the city of Española.
After Syed’s conviction in March, prosecutors acknowledged that no testimony during the trial nor any court filings addressed a possible motive. Prosecutors had described him as having a violent history, but his public defenders argued that previous allegations of domestic violence never resulted in convictions.
veryGood! (912)
prev:Trump's 'stop
Related
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Louisville police chief resigns after mishandling sexual harassment claims
- Biden and Trump are set to debate. Here’s what their past performances looked like
- WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoa'i, of The Wild Samoans and father of Roman Reigns, dies at 79
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Louisiana’s health secretary taking on new role of state surgeon general
- Native American ceremony will celebrate birth of white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park
- Biden and Trump are set to debate. Here’s what their past performances looked like
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Pennsylvania woman drowns after falling into waterfall at Glacier National Park
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Consolidated, ‘compassionate’ services pledged for new Illinois Department of Early Childhood
- States fail to track abuses in foster care facilities housing thousands of children, US says
- Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed — and bemused by the fuss
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Princess Anne Experiencing Memory Loss Related to Hospitalization
- Post Malone announces F-1 Trillion concert tour: How to get tickets
- To understand Lane Kiffin's rise at Mississippi, you have to follow along with Taylor Swift
Recommendation
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
Post Malone announces F-1 Trillion concert tour: How to get tickets
Why Argentina's Copa America win vs. Chile might be a bummer for Lionel Messi fans
Israelis’ lawsuit says UN agency helps Hamas by paying Gaza staff in dollars
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Trump Media's wild rollercoaster ride: Why volatile DJT stock is gaining steam
US journalist’s closed trial for espionage set to begin in Russia, with a conviction all but certain
Bear euthanized after 'causing minor injuries' at Gatlinburg park concession stand