Texas ‘Honor Killing’ Dad Claims Shadowy People Were Following Him
A Texas father accused of fatally shooting his daughters in the back of a taxi in an “honor killing” before going on the lam for over a decade took the stand in his own defense on Monday—and claimed he “felt his life was in danger” the night of the 2008 incident.
Yaser Said, 64, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of his daughters, 17-year-old Sarah and 18-year-old Amina. Prosecutors allege that Said killed them outside of a Dallas-area hotel after learning they had begun dating and after they had escaped from their house out of fear. Said’s lawyers have argued throughout the trial the crime was only pinned on him because he is Muslim.
Said evaded authorities for 12 years, landing him on the FBI’s Most Wanted List before he was found in 2020 hiding in Justin, Texas, about 40 minutes away from the crime scene. Witnesses and former investigators testified in court that during his time on the lam, Said took extreme measures to hide, including enlisting the help of his son and brother, and sleeping in a hidden room in the back of a converted garage.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here