Yaser Said was sentenced to death on Tuesday for the 2008 shooting deaths of his two teenage daughters, 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said.
After hearing closing arguments and deliberating for three hours, the Dallas County jury reached a guilty verdict. Judge Chika Anyam was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty in this case.
Amina and Sarah's mother, Patricia Owens, addressed her ex-husband at her stand following her sentencing. "You deserve to die now, not in prison," Owens said. ``You took my life. escaped arrest. Said, who worked as a taxi driver, was arrested in Justin, Texas in August 2020. He denied murdering his daughters and filed a plea of not guilty when he took the testimony on Monday. No, I didn't even date her," prosecutors said in closing arguments on Tuesday.
ABC News' local affiliate, WFAA, said police called these killings "honour killings," which in certain cultures were thought to bring dishonor to the family, especially relatives, especially
During the trial, prosecutors read an e-mail dated December 21, 2007, that Amina had made history 10 days before she and her sister were killed. Addressing a teacher, she said her father had "made our lives a nightmare" and that she and her sister wanted to run away.
{18 According to the prosecutor, “I am very scared right now. My father said he couldn't put it off any longer.I have to get married this year.''''He said, without drama or doubt,
August 2022 8 Yaser Said, who ran for office on Monday, has filed an acquittal petition that denies killing his daughters.
WFAA
Girls and Mothers Christmas 2007 On that day, Amina was 4 days after she sent the email. Witnesses said the girls returned to the Dallas area on New Year's Eve, saying that Sayid had persuaded her to return home. The bodies of the girls were found in the taxi of the public prosecutor.
Last Wednesday, prosecutors released Sarah's 911 call, which she allegedly made the night she died. During the call, a woman is heard screaming frantically that she is dying because she was shot by her father.
In her testimony in court last Thursday, Owens pointed to her ex-husband and called him "that devil." She testified that Sayid was controlling and abusive throughout their relationship, and although she and her daughters left him several times over the years, they always returned out of fear.
Owens declined to comment on the case until her ex-husband was convicted, she told ABC News.
Oversaw the case. In a letter to the judge, Said said he did not approve of his daughters' "dating activities" but denied killing the girls.
"I was upset because in my culture it's upsetting," Said said through an interpreter. He testified that he immigrated to the United States from Egypt in 1983 and later became a U.S. citizen.
Sayid told jurors that he took his daughters to dinner the night they were killed because he wanted to smooth things over and "solve the problem."
However, Sayid claims he left home. He testified that he caught a stranger stalking him in his car while he was driving.
He said.
They claim to have been targeted by law enforcement because of their religious beliefs and cultural beliefs.
, just like a child likes what kind of food he wants to eat, who he wants to date, what religion he wants to practice," said Bahran Muse, Saeed's attorney. "Discipline doesn't mean you killed yourself. ldren. Your culture doesn't mean you killed a child."
Said's defense team said prosecutors They claimed that they tried to "generalize" and "criminalize" entire cultures to suit their story.
Prosecutors dismissed allegations that Said was wrongfully accused of religious beliefs. If you do, we'll come for you. Period. You will be prosecuted. Period. It has nothing to do with your race or religion," prosecutor Lauren Black said in closing arguments.
