Said wrote letters from jail to state District Judge Chika Anyiam, who is overseeing the case, and denied he killed the girls. Yaser Said, accused of killing his two daughters in 2008, was nearly ", TRIAL OF TEXAS MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING DAUGHTERS IN HONOR KILLINGS FOR HAVING NON-MUSLIM BOYFRIENDS BEGINS. My father shot me. While at UT, Catherine served as managing editor of The Daily Texan, UT's student paper, and interned at the Texas Tribune and Houston Chronicle. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs about 180 pounds, and has brown eyes, black hair, and possibly a thick moustache. But a few months later, the girls said they lied because they wanted to go live with their grandmother. Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that Yaser Said was arrested in Justin in 2020. In 2017, officials said they caught a break in the case after a maintenance worker claimed to see Yaser Said inside an apartment in Bedford, which had been leased to his son, Islam. Those and other details about what led to the capture of Said, whod been on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since 2014, were released Friday by the U.S. attorneys office for the Northern District of Texas. Yaser Abdel Said, 65, an Egyptian-born cab driver who lived with his family just north of Dallas, Texas, allegedly shot his daughters, 17-year-old Sarah (center) and 18-year-old Amina (right), to death in his taxi after telling them they were going out to eat on New Years Day 14 years ago. Official Press Release regarding Conviction and Life Sentence of Yaser Abdel Said.Thank you to the prosecution team, the investigators, the jury, and all of those who fought to see that justice was done for Sarah and Amina. We need your help: If you have information about Yaser Abdel Said, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or contact your nearest law enforcement agency or U.S. Embassy or Consulate. XM)yVko`=$U.o+zx.h?d_T{49&jS nC-"aa. The Texas man accused of murdering his teenage daughters as part of an alleged honor killing has been convicted. Dallas County We need to catch this individual and prevent him from harming anyone else., Latest Hate Crime Statistics Report Released. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. -B!kZB6,_ ^^4'UB)Xd= TO&-;2TBT6e625aamz9Fd0u0*"3==e[$a#+{75%N Islam helped harbor his father after he allegedly murdered the girls. qSI@CT/y%A{O(r#d# V Yaser Said 160 0 obj FBI agents obtained a search warrant after seeing Islam and Yassein leave the home with garbage bags Tuesday and following them to a shopping center nearly 20 miles away in Southlake, where they dumped the trash. For years, authorities suspected that Said had fled to his native Egypt or New York City but, in August 2020, he was. He faces the death penalty if convicted of capital murder. This undated file photo provided by the Irving (Texas) Police Department shows Yaser Abdel Said; at right are daughters Amina and Sarah Said. At the time of the shooting, police noted that there had been domestic problems in the Said family. Islam Yaser-Abdel Said, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conceal a person from arrest, one count of concealing a person from arrest, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. All rights reserved, was found guilty in February by a federal jury in Fort Worth, Brother of Man Accused of Murdering Daughters Found Guilty of Conspiracy, Concealing, Mother of 2 Girls Killed in Honor Killing Speaks Out, pled guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, Yaser Said had been a fugitive from justice since New Year's Day 2008, when he allegedly murdered his teenage daughters, Amina and Sarah, where a maintenance worker spotted Yaser on Aug. 14, 2017, Son Gets 10 Years in Prison for Helping Dad Evade Arrest, Irving Man Pleads Guilty to Helping Dad Evade Arrest in Killings, Aerosmith Kicking Off Farewell Tour in September, 7 Bodies Found During Search for Missing Oklahoma Teens, One Dead, Standoff With Barricaded Person Ends in Kaufman County, This 28-Year-Old Ignored Warnings About Job-Hopping and Doubled Her Salary to $186K in 5 Years, Post-Military Life Can be Challenging for Texas Veterans and Their FamiliesThese Resources Can Help. Catherine writes about breaking news, crime and the Dallas Zoo. Im dying, Im dying, Im dying, she said. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Subscribe Islam Yaser-Abdel Said, 32, helped conceal his father who was one of the FBIs Most Wanted fugitives. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. HtSn0+H!-"NI uzP#'VG 5YQ 'Quf!/CAaR@e={V?lDz&1+mRHF6#j|r8,94=O NVCR;Q Hr6D{mb>. endobj In August 2020, Yaser Abdel Said was captured and arrested for shooting and killing his two daughters, 18-year-old Amina and 17-year-old Sarah. endstream Said was in Texas on a permanent residence visa when they married, Owens said in the documentary. Attention Texas homeowners: You may have thrown away big money if you discarded a certain envelope from the appraisal district, Jury deliberating in trial of aircraft trust company owner accused of registering planes used for drug smuggling, Increasing temps, higher humidity, and rain chances later this week, DFW weather: Warming temps and storm chances this week, Yaser Abdel Said was captured and arrested, How brother, son of man on FBI's Most Wanted List accused in 'honor killings' led agents to him, Friends, neighbors react after man on FBI Most Wanted list arrested for killing daughters. '")The|T,A-@#AUBZ}YMDagsR+\puHlG^4?qqKha:H'a Seeing double! 158 0 obj A district judge dismissed the case. 'e _ After hearing closing arguments and deliberating for three hours, the Dallas County jury reached the guilty verdict. <>stream Unrecognizable rapper sports prosthetics and cat ears at 2023 Met Gala as she leads stars Baring it ALL! No one else had been seen coming to or going from the house since Aug. 17, the criminal complaint states. Yaser Said had been a fugitive from justice since New Year's Day 2008, when he allegedly murdered his teenage daughters, Amina and Sarah. In August 2020, Yaser Abdel Said was captured and arrested for shooting and killing his two daughters, 18-year-old Amina and 17-year-old Sarah. He said he fled the taxi he was driving that evening because he thought they were being followed and someone wanted to kill him. As per the show, the detectives stumbled upon their first significant breakthrough when accounts of family members alleged that Amina and Sarah were abused both physically and mentally by their father, Yaser Abdel Said. The brother of capital murder suspect Yaser Said was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for helping the "10 Most Wanted" suspect, accused of murdering his two teenage daughters in a 2008 shooting, evade capture for 12 years. Said, 63, is suspected of killing 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said on New Years Day 2008. "No sentence can bring Sarah and Amina back, but we are hopeful that seeing justice served brings a measure of comfort to those who loved these two young souls.". We come at it from the assumption that he is innocent of the crime, Lollar said, noting that he hadnt seen much evidence against Said from the time of the shootings. Revealed: All 76 bank branches that are shutting its doors this month in blow to the High Street with Serena Williams is pregnant AGAIN! via AP, File / Facebook), In a Dec. 21, 2007, email that was brought into evidence, Amina Said told a teacher that she and her sister planned to run away. My dad shot me, she wailed before saying something inaudible. Yaser Abdel Said has been convicted of Capital Murder in the deaths of his daughters, Sarah and Amina Said. Officials said Islam and Yassein were both arrested the following day in Euless. endstream In addition to Egypt and Canada, investigators believe Said has ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth region and the New York City area. Britain's rock solid support for the Royal Family: With Charles' Coronation just four days way, a major poll LORD ASHCROFT: The monarchy has to change, but the King has time and goodwill on his side. show you personalized advertising. Testimony Begins in Trial of Former Most-Wanted Fugitive He was arrested without incident. Todays announcement, Rodriguez noted, should draw increased attention to the case. She was 17 when Amina was born and 18 at Sarahs birth. Yassein Said, Yaser's 59-year-old brother, was found guilty in February by a federal jury in Fort Worth of conspiracy to conceal a person from arrest, concealing a person from arrest and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Even though Yaser Said was indicted on capital murder charges, prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. Since his capture, he has been held at Dallas County Jail - North Tower. [32] [33] His trial opened on August 2, 2022. [34] The Associated Press contributed to this report. pic.twitter.com/mdLUzVLx3z. Islam Said, left, and Yassein Said, right. OK`mG)n HSMo0+|l$'m6vV:?M8VZ#dG@Tq4 Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Prosecutor Lauren Black said at trial that Said was "obsessed with possession and control.". endobj After a six-day trial, Yaser Abdel Said was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of capital murder, according to a statement from the office of Dallas County Criminal District Attorney. Doggy day-care! Investigators believe he was taking them to dinner when he shot them in the back of a taxi cab outside the Omni Hotel in Irving in 2008. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. x+ | He has worked in a number of other capacities for The News since 2007, and he was previously a copy editor at The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla. Yaser Said, 65, was found guilty of capital murder in the deaths of 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said. Islam Said Sentenced To 10 Years For Hiding Father Yaser Yaser Said, 65, was found guilty of capital murder in the deaths of 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said. the Associated Press reported. Man evaded capture for 12 years, will stand trial in Dallas for A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The government had offered a $100,000 bounty for turning in Said, but in the end, DeSarno said, the fugitives arrest was the result of good old-fashioned, aggressive, initiative-based police work.. in Justin, Texas roughly 34 miles northwest of where his teenage daughters were found shot to death. On January 1, 2008, Said persuaded his estranged daughtersAmina, 18, and Sarah, 17to visit him. Yaser Abdel Said, wanted for the murder of his two teenage daughters in Texas, has been named to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The Yaser Said allegedly invited his daughters to a meal at Denny's before killing them. I got my eye on you. Agents dug through the bags and reported finding cigarette butts among the garbage, the complaint states. H\Sj#1}WqglP Her father, she said, had "made our lives a nightmare.". Instead, he allegedly drove them in his taxi cab to a remote location and used a handgun to murder them. Yaser Said Sarah Said and Amina Said were allegedly shot to death by their father in what prosecutors have described as "honor killings.". 4:20-CR-292-1 Before He then shot them both multiple times inside the cab near a hotel in Irving, Texas, according to the FBI. Stop it. At the time, their deaths were described by surviving family members as "honor killings,"the Associated Press reported. In 2011, while Said was still at large, Owens told The Dallas Morning News that she thought the killings could have been because of her ex-husband's belief that the girls were shaming the family with their western ways. Authorities said he shot them in his taxicab and left it outside an Irving hotel. <>stream For more information, please read our Privacy Policy, Yaser Abdel Said was sentenced to life in prison. HTj1}GTc!-Rd`|.M-h/&vks}4\^^/Pr` *Qk`=(M`1zM|W-7,RvmW_=JyIr?WrSGTg(hY6R\q_{0}|aOAe4@NgwG ]E!Of'v.c=]ti7M{3~u]G&ElV,g\HjtAS#GB`^?gH&Ln8wg*?T hS=i`Wc0cD$|CqJ ]I)G; h]uXSw g7Un) If convicted, Said faces an automatic life prison sentence. The driver of the car told border agents that he and Said were on a crazy road trip, but phone records showed that the driver had told his employer that he was having a family emergency. He reportedly carries a weapon with him at all times. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. Yaser Abdel Said (left) has been arrested for killing his daughters Sarah and Amina. The sisters were found shot to death in a taxi parked near a hotel in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving on New Years Day in 2008. Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities searched the house and captured him. Police surrounded the familys house the next day and entered after firing tear gas inside. Saids son, Islam Said, and brother, Yassein Said, were also charged with helping conceal the Texas man, and were sentenced in 2021 to 10 and 12 years behind bars, respectively. According to police records, Said was enraged at and had previously threatened to hurt one of his daughters for dating a non-Muslim boy. Thanks to the dogged work of the FBI and its law enforcement partners, however, Mr. Saids efforts were ultimately in vain, Prerak Shah said. Those charges were later dropped after the girls recanted their story because they said they didn't want to be forced to relocate. Said, who was placed on the FBIs Top 10 Most Wanted List in 2014, is accused of murdering his daughters, Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17. Yaser Abdel Said with his daughters, 18-year-old Amina and 17-year-old Sarah. Charlotte is daddy's double! on the FBIs Top 10 Most Wanted List in 2014 and a reward of up to $100,000 had been offered for information leading to his capture. Son of man arrested in 2008 'honor killings' sentenced to prison trial concluded Monday and trial proceedings were expected to get underway Tuesday. ', Said's son, Islam (left) and his brother,Yassein (right). 'What prompted her to go back home is beyond me,' said Moggio. 'My daughters were loving, caring, smart, loved everybody, would help anybody,' Owens said, 'They were two of the most awesome kids in the world, and they did not deserve what happened to them.'. Yaser Abdel Said had spent a dozen years on the run before his capture by the FBI in Justin, Texas, nearly two years ago. emailStay Connected A Texas taxi cab driver who spent years on the FBIs Most Wanted list for the alleged "honor killings" of his teenage daughters will stand trial this month. 159 0 obj "He will, without any drama nor doubt, kill us," the email read. Trial begins for Texas taxicab driver accused in "honor killings" of