New Mexico
New Mexico murder suspect stands trial in killings of 3 Muslim men
- The trial against Muhammad Syed, an Afghan refugee, is underway in Albuquerque.
- Syed, who has been in custody since his arrest in 2022, faces charges of three counts of murder and four charges of tampering with evidence.
- The trial centers on the death of Aftab Hussein, with separate trials planned for the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and Naeem Hussain.
Muslims in New Mexico’s largest city are hoping more light will be shed on what led to the shooting deaths of three men from their community during the summer of 2022 as prosecutors begin to make their case against an Afghan refugee charged with the killings.
Attorneys were expected to deliver opening statements in an Albuquerque court Tuesday in what will be the first trial for Muhammad Syed, who settled in the U.S. several years ago with his family. He denied involvement in the killings after being detained just days after police put out a public plea for help and shared photographs of a vehicle believed to be involved in the crimes.
Tips poured in and investigators turned their attention to Syed. Police stopped him in his vehicle in August 2022 more than 100 miles 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 ambush-style killings.
ALBUQUERQUE MURDER SUSPECT TRIES TO SPEAK IN COURT; FAMILY REPORTEDLY SAYS HE WAS HOME AT TIME OF SLAYINGS
Syed, who speaks Pashto and no English, has remained in custody without bond since his arrest. He is charged with three counts of murder and four charges of tampering with evidence. Police also have identified him as the suspect in the killing of a fourth Muslim man, but no charges have been filed in that case.
While some court documents remain sealed, others shed no light on a possible motive, leaving Albuquerque’s Muslim community struggling to understand why the men were targeted.
Prosecutors during previous court hearings described Syed as having a violent history. His public defenders have argued that previous allegations of domestic violence never resulted in convictions.
MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN NEW MEXICO SHOCKED AFTER SUSPECT IS ARRESTED
The first trial centers on the death of Aftab Hussein, 41, who was slain the night of July 26, 2022, after parking his car in his usual spot near his home.
Syed will be tried separately in the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, a 27-year-old urban planner who was gunned down Aug. 1 while taking his evening walk, and Naeem Hussain, who was shot four days later as he sat in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency on the city’s south side.
Prosecutors plan to call as witnesses police officers and other authorities involved in the investigation. However, the judge is prohibiting testimony about ShotSpotter technology used by the police force to detect the sound of gunshots.
Prosecutors also cannot directly introduce as evidence statements Syed made to a detective while being questioned. Defense attorneys argued that Syed’s rights were violated because the detective, through an interpreter, did not adequately inform Syed of his right to a court-appointed attorney.
ALBUQUERQUE MURDERS: AFGHAN REFUGEE INDICTED ON THIRD MURDER COUNT IN MUSLIM MURDERS
According to the initial criminal complaint filed by Albuquerque police, investigators determined that bullet casings found in Syed’s vehicle matched the caliber of the weapons believed to have been used in the July 26 and Aug. 1 killings and that casings found at the crime scenes were linked to guns found at Syed’s home and in his vehicle.
Federal authorities in court filings pointed to cellphone records and accused one of Syed’s sons of possibly helping his father track Naeem Hussain before he was killed. Shaheen Syed was accused of providing a false address when purchasing a gun from a local shop in 2021 and reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in January.
In the case of the elder Syed, a murder conviction would carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
New Mexico
Behind the scenes of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Metropolitan Court of Bernalillo County had another packed docket Saturday morning.
“We are the busiest courthouse in the state. We see more than every other courthouse does, from the traffic tickets to the misdemeanor cases and the initial felony cases that are filed here,” said Metropolitan Court Chief Judge Joshua Sanchez.
Sanchez says the court oversees about 100 cases a day and Saturday New Mexico’s top judge, Chief Justice David Thomson of the New Mexico Supreme Court, got a firsthand look at the court’s caseload.
Sanchez says he welcomes the visit.
“We go to these statewide meetings, and they hear about how things happen. But until you actually kind of sit there with another judge and see what happens, it’s kind of eye-opening to see the kind of controlled chaos that we have on a Saturday morning,” he said about the visit.
He adds their biggest challenge at Metro Court is the case load.
Thomson says he plans to visit courts statewide to see these challenges for himself.
“I think it’s a good idea just to come down and see it. And what you see, if you watch these, is you see all the interactions between what we face, just not as a court system, as a society, right?” said Sanchez.
Just from one morning sitting in on court proceedings, he said it’s clear mental health plays a huge part in a lot of the cases metro court hears.
“If there are questions of competency, we can catch those questions here, rather when they get transferred to felony court, that’s one, can they be assessed early on,” Thomson said.
He also noticed a lot of repeat offenders.
“I think it’s very helpful to see it firsthand. On a few of these individuals. I’ve actually asked to look at some of the criminal history, so I have an understanding of the particulars,” said Thomson.
Sanchez said he hopes for more visits like this in the future.
“It’s just nice to give some real perspective and validates, I think, a lot of the things that we do communicate to AOC and the Supreme Court and things that we’re seeing,” said Thomson.
New Mexico
‘Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light’ documentary illuminates the artist’s NM connection
New Mexico
CSU-Pueblo crushes New Mexico Highlands | KRDO
The CSU-Pueblo football team exploded for a 67-28 win over New Mexico Highlands.
The Thunderwolves reached the 66 point mark for the second straight week.
CSU-Pueblo improves to 5-1 this season.
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