Azad Abdullah was sentenced to death by the State of Idaho for the murder of his wife and the attempted murders of three children
According to court documents Azad Abdullah would murder his wife and then would set the house on fire with his two children and a friend of the children inside of the home
Azad Abdullah would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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Azad Abdullah is incarcerated at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution
Azad Abdullah Case
Angie and Abdullah were married in March of 2001. Abdullah is Muslim and a Kurdish refugee from northern Iraq. Angie converted to Islam for Abdullah before they married. Angie had a daughter, A.H., from a previous marriage, and Abdullah had a son, R.A., from a previous marriage. Angie and Abdullah had two sons together, N.A. and M.A. A.H. was nine years old at the time of Angie’s death, R.A. was five years old, N.A. was eighteen months old, and M.A. was three weeks old.
Angie and Abdullah’s marriage was troubled, and one point of disagreement was Abdullah’s religious studies. Abdullah wanted to move the family to South Africa or Saudi Arabia to study Islam, but Angie did not want to move. They also had financial troubles. A financial analyst with the FBI opined that Angie and Abdullah were “living month to month” and borrowing money to make ends meet. Shortly before the birth of M.A., Angie told health professionals she was contemplating divorce. On September 9, 2002, Angie met with an attorney to discuss divorce and other marital issues.
Abdullah, Angie, and their children lived in a home on 2292 North Siesta Way in Boise, Idaho. Angie owned the Siesta residence. In June of 2002, Abdullah offered to sell everything in the residence to a co-worker. In August of 2002, Abdullah tried to sell the residence without Angie’s consent.
In response to a co-worker’s question as to the differences between American and Kurdish culture, Abdullah told his co-workers it was acceptable to kill one’s wife or to have the wife killed in his culture if she cheated on the husband and the husband made an offering to the wife’s family. He made this comment in July or August of 2002.
Abdullah and Angie ran a vending machine business part-time. In the summer of 2002, Abdullah stored the vending machines in the garage of the Siesta residence. On August 21, 2002, Abdullah purchased a $50,000 insurance policy in cash to cover the vending machines if destroyed by a fire. Although he was storing the vending machines at home, he was interested in only fire insurance and not theft insurance. Abdullah was a named insured on Angie’s homeowner’s policy.
On October 2, 2002, Abdullah told a co-worker that divorce is “extremely frowned upon in Islam, and that it just doesn’t happen.” He also went shopping at India Emporium that day and received a plastic bag to hold his purchase.
On October 4, 2002, Abdullah drove to Salt Lake City, Utah, with his son R.A. Although Abdullah wanted to take N.A., his favorite child, on the trip, he did not take N.A. He claimed that the purpose of the trip was to get halal meat, which is a meat specially prepared for Muslims under the Islamic dietary guidelines and was not available in Boise. Before Abdullah left for Salt Lake City, he purchased approximately seventeen gallons of gasoline at a Chevron station in Boise. He also made a separate purchase of about five gallons of gasoline for a gas can.
On October 4, 2002, a little before 4:00 p.m., Abdullah went to the Halal Market in Salt Lake City, but he did not buy any halal meat or discuss that kind of purchase with the owner. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Abdullah checked into the Dream Inn in Salt Lake City. At approximately 6:30 p.m., Abdullah purchased two red plastic gas cans from Food 4 Less. At 6:52 p.m., Abdullah purchased at a Halloween store a long black cape that fully covered an adult and a mask that fully covered an adult head. The Abdullah family did not observe Halloween for religious reasons. Abdullah also visited the mosque. At 8:10 p.m., Abdullah purchased twenty-two and a half gallons of gasoline, Cheetos, and coffee at a 7–Eleven in Salt Lake City. Twenty-two and a half gallons was more than the tank capacity of Abdullah’s van, which could hold a little more than twenty-one gallons, but not twenty-two gallons. No one saw Abdullah in Salt Lake City from approximately 8:00 p.m. on October 4, 2002, to 7:00 a.m. on October 5, 2002.
Imam Khaja Shuab Din testified that some Muslims allow their children to celebrate Halloween, but there would be no reason for adult costumes.
At seventy-five to eighty miles per hour, it would take about four and a half hours to drive between Salt Lake City and Boise, approximately 330 miles. Abdullah’s van gets a little over twenty-six miles per gallon and takes about thirteen gallons to make the trip.
In Boise, around noon on October 4, 2002, ten-year-old S.S., a friend of A.H., was taken to the Siesta residence by S.S.’s mother to sleep over that night. Abdullah knew S.S. would be staying the night. S.S.’s mother spent about an hour and a half with Angie discussing M.A.’s baby shower and testified that Angie seemed normal. Around 6:00 or 6:30 p.m., Angie took A.H., N.A., M.A., and S.S. to Angie’s Aunt Charlene Javernick’s house in Eagle, Idaho, for dinner. Angie was acting normal, and she seemed relaxed and comfortable, not depressed, sad, or tense. On the way home from dinner, Angie rented a movie for A.H. and S.S. Angie and the children arrived home at approximately 10:30 p.m., and A.H. and S.S. watched the movie in the family room. Around midnight A.H. and S.S. fell asleep in the family room. Before going to sleep, Angie asked A.H. and S.S. to lock the doors. A.H. and S.S. made sure the front door and back door were locked. A.H. and S.S. did not check the door in the master bedroom, which went out to the back porch, or the door to the garage. A.H. and S.S. observed that Angie was wearing a “blue tank top dress” or “dress kind of gown with little purple flowers” for pajamas.
S.S.’s mother had never let S.S. sleep over before because she was uncomfortable with Abdullah.
Marjorie Wood, a clerk at a Chevron station in Mountain Home, Idaho, saw Abdullah in the Chevron store a little after midnight on October 5, 2002. Wood identified Abdullah from a photograph for law enforcement on October 11, 2002, and she told law enforcement that she was 100 percent sure Abdullah was in the store.
Wood observed Abdullah talking with two other men with “black beards” in a different language in the store. Wood testified, “They were all the same race,” and they left the store “at pretty much the same time.”
On October 5, 2002, shortly before 1:54 a.m., S.S. woke up because she felt heat. S.S. saw “fire everywhere.” S.S. woke up A.H. by slapping her. A.H. saw fire “[a]ll over the roof” (evidently referring to the ceiling). A.H. and S.S. saw a path through the garage and ran out of the burning home. A.H. and S.S. had a minute or less to respond to the fire before a risk of death.
Edward Kerschensteiner and his wife, who lived across the street from the Siesta residence, were awakened a little before 2:00 a.m. by A.H. and S.S. ringing their doorbell. A.H. and S.S. told Edward that Angie and the other children were still in the house. Brian and Linda Wright, who lived next to the Siesta residence, went with Edward to help search for other individuals in the burning home. Edward kicked down the door to the master bedroom, which was locked, ran into the bedroom, and rescued M.A., who was lying on the bed crying. Brian helped Edward rescue M.A. and then went into the family room with Edward to search for Angie. Neither Edward nor Brian saw N.A. in their search of the home.
M.A. had soot and oily residue around his mouth and nose and on his clothing. If M.A. had not been rescued from the home, there was a very high probability M.A. would have died before the firefighters arrived at the scene.
At approximately 2:00 a.m., the firefighters arrived and initially entered the burning home in rescue mode. The firefighters quickly went into defensive mode, however, due to concerns of flashover, which is when everything in the room reaches ignition temperature and ignites at one time. Shortly after the firefighters retreated from the home through the front door, the living room flashed over. There was a very high probability of fatal injuries to the firefighters if any of them had been in the room when it flashed over.
One firefighter found N.A. in the backyard during a secondary search around the burning home. N.A. was sitting on a large comforter from the master bedroom. N.A. was not covered in soot, did not smell like smoke, and did not have any signs on his body of being in a fire. N.A. could not open the door to the master bedroom or carry the comforter by himself. Due to the intense fire load, N.A. would have been burned if he remained in the backyard.
The firefighters found that the front door was open with no signs of a forced entry, even though A.H. and S.S. had checked the lock before they went to bed.
The firefighters used a thermal imager to scan the Siesta residence and saw a female body, identified as Angie, lying on the bed in the southwest bedroom, which was one of the children’s rooms. Angie had no clothing on except a sports bra. A plastic bag was over her head and covered her face. The firefighters observed that her “face was down” and “her back side was up in the air.” The body was in a peculiar and unusual position for a fire fatality. A nightgown with flowers on it was found on a bedpost in the master bedroom.
Lance Hart, a senior special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), explained that the fire was intentionally set by someone who poured gasoline in the garage, the living room, and the southwest bedroom in which Angie was found. So much gasoline was poured in the garage that the gas water heater pilot light prematurely ignited the fumes and caused the garage to explode before the other gas pours could be linked or ignited. The explosion was so strong that it blew the bottom panel of the garage door off, which allowed A.H. and S.S. to escape. The neighbors in the house behind the Siesta residence had to put water on their roof to prevent their house from catching on fire. The Wrights could feel the heat from outside their home, the paint peeled off their home due to the heat, and the nearby foliage was singed.
Firefighters found a new red plastic gas can in the driveway of the Siesta residence that matched the one Abdullah had purchased in Salt Lake City at Food 4 Less. The gas can was melted due to the fire, but contained a small amount of gasoline. Law enforcement took the gas can and transferred the remaining gasoline to a vial. The firefighters found a black cape at the scene identical to the one purchased by Abdullah at the Halloween store in Salt Lake City.
On October 5, 2002, in Salt Lake City at approximately 7:00 a.m., Abdullah went to the mosque, stayed for a few minutes, and then returned to the Dream Inn. He told law enforcement that he slept until 10:35 a.m. and then checked out. At 11:36 a.m., Abdullah purchased another sixteen gallons of gasoline at a Maverik gas station in Salt Lake
City. He also went to the Halal Market again between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., but did not place an order or purchase any meat. Around noon he bought new sandals.
Other than the drive to Boise and the arson, there was no explanation as to how Abdullah could have used sixteen gallons of gas between 8:00 p.m. on October 4, 2002, and the next morning on October 5, 2002.
Around 2:00 p.m., Abdullah returned to the mosque. Abdullah then went to lunch with Imam Khaja Shuab Din (Imam Din) at his home and stayed for the next five hours. At 3:30 p.m., Abdullah learned of the fire and Angie’s death. Abdullah left his van at Imam Din’s house and flew to Boise with R.A. Law enforcement interviewed Abdullah at the airport immediately upon his arrival in Boise.
On October 7, 2002, Abdullah learned law enforcement was going to verify his story. Abdullah called his friend Moctar Ba that morning. Abdullah asked Ba to call Imam Din and ask him to go to a pay phone to call Ba. Abdullah also asked Ba to ask Imam Din to go to Food 4 Less, purchase two gas cans, fill them with gas, and place them in his van, which was still parked at Imam Din’s home. Abdullah told Ba that Imam Din’s phone was under surveillance. Ba told Abdullah that he would not do as Abdullah requested.
Also on October 7, 2002, Abdullah left a voicemail for Imam Din, asking him to return his phone call, that it was urgent, and that he should use a pay phone and not his home phone. Imam Din purchased a phone card and returned Abdullah’s phone call from a pay phone. Abdullah asked him to buy two red plastic gas cans, purchase gasoline, empty the gas cans, and place them in his van. Abdullah told him that he was afraid the police would not believe his story that R.A. did not like the smell of the gas cans so he threw them in the dumpster. Imam Din refused.
When law enforcement took possession of Abdullah’s van, it did not contain any gas cans, the cape, or the mask.
During an interview on October 11, 2002, law enforcement observed “a healing-type wound with scabs” on Abdullah’s left arm. Law enforcement collected hair samples from both of Abdullah’s arms. A forensic scientist with the Idaho State Police laboratory found that the hair samples from both arms showed exposure to high heat.
On October 17, 2002, at law enforcement’s request, Imam Din called Abdullah to clarify some questions. In the recorded call, Imam Din asked Abdullah about his activities in Salt Lake City. In particular, Imam Din asked Abdullah about the purchase of the cape and mask, and he told Abdullah that law enforcement had a cape. Abdullah denied purchasing the cape or mask.
DNA from the cape and gas can found at the scene were compared with Abdullah’s DNA. The gas can had DNA profiles from more than one individual, and Abdullah was excluded as a major and minor contributor with a combination of three samples obtained from the gas can. The cape had multiple DNA profiles as well. Abdullah was excluded as a major contributor, but could not be excluded as a minor contributor to the cape.
Law enforcement sent gasoline samples to the Southwest Research Institute and Ethyl Corporation for testing. They sent a sample of the gasoline in the gas can from the crime scene and gasoline control samples from the Chevron station in Boise where Abdullah purchased gasoline on October 4, 2002, before leaving for Salt Lake City and the 7–Eleven in Salt Lake City where Abdullah also purchased gasoline on October 4, 2002. In October of 2002, Sinclair Oil Company supplied gasoline to the 7–Eleven in Salt Lake City. The gasoline contained an additive HiTEC 6423.
Melissa Williams, a senior research assistant at Southwest Research Institute, tested the gasoline samples from the crime scene, 7–Eleven, and Chevron for Chevron’s fuel marker. Williams found that it was unlikely the gasoline samples from the crime scene and 7–Eleven contained the Chevron marker. The gasoline sample from Chevron tested positive for the Chevron marker.
A fuel marker identifies the fuel, but does not change its properties.
Dr. William Colucci, a senior research advisor at Ethyl Corporation, explained that Ethyl Corporation (now Afton Chemical) supplies HiTEC 6423 to about forty percent of the national gasoline market. Dr. Colucci tested the gasoline samples from the crime scene, 7–Eleven, and Chevron for HiTEC 6423. He found HiTEC 6423 in the gasoline samples from the crime scene and 7–Eleven. There was no HiTEC 6423 in the Chevron gasoline sample. Dr. Colucci also testified that both the gasoline sample from the crime scene and 7–Eleven had the lowest additive concentration (LAC) of HiTEC 6423 with a similar fuel component that made quantifying the LAC difficult.
Dr. Glen Groben, a forensic pathologist with the Ada County Coroner’s Office, performed the autopsy of Angie’s body on October 5, 2002. He determined Angie died before the fire. During the external examination of the body, Dr. Groben noticed melted plastic on the back of Angie’s head. He observed that a strip of plastic went all the way around her neck. The bag was from India Emporium, where Abdullah had been three days before Angie’s death and received a similar plastic bag. Dr. Groben did not find any petechial hemorrhages, which would indicate strangulation, or any indicators of blunt force trauma. He also found no signs of defensive wounds. He found that Angie had a full stomach of vegetable matter at the time of death. Due in part to the fact that the first toxicology exam was negative for all tested substances, Dr. Groben determined Angie’s manner of death as homicide caused by “asphyxiation due to a plastic bag over the head.” He testified that he ruled out suicide because the position of the body was inconsistent with suicide, “there were … no drugs on board at that point in time to suggest” suicide “and no one places a bag over their head without drugs on board,” and “other things.”
It takes approximately an hour and a half for the stomach to empty.
In December of 2003, Dr. Groben requested an additional toxicology exam to test for certain antidepressants, including Prozac, the trade name for fluoxetine. He requested the additional exam after receiving a letter from Mitch Toryanski that indicated Angie had a history of depression. Dr. Groben learned that antidepressants such as fluoxetine were not tested in the earlier toxicology exam, although he had believed otherwise when he requested the exam. The additional toxicology exam was positive for fluoxetine in Angie’s blood with a potentially lethal concentration. Through additional testing, Dr. Groben learned that a smaller concentration of the metabolite of fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, was present in Angie’s blood and gastric contents. This testing indicated to Dr. Groben that Angie was taking fluoxetine at therapeutic levels and subsequently had “an acute increase in [f]luoxetine in the blood and then immediate death, not allowing for any metabolism.” Dr. Groben found no indicators of the use of hypodermic needles. He amended his autopsy report to change the cause of death to “acute fluoxetine poisoning associated with asphyxiation due to a bag over the head.”
Dr. Ronald Backer, the president and laboratory director of Ameritox Laboratories, testified that an individual would display symptoms of toxicity, such as seizures, sedation, or difficulty breathing, with the level of concentration of fluoxetine found in Angie’s blood. He opined that an individual would need to ingest forty to 100 forty-milligram capsules to obtain that level of concentration. Assuming such ingestion, Dr. Backer would expect to find a significant level of concentration of fluoxetine in the gastric contents of that individual. Only a small level of concentration of fluoxetine was found in Angie’s gastric contents, however. Dr. Backer explained that the level of concentration of fluoxetine found in Angie’s blood could be dissolved in eight ounces of fluid or less and, if ingested on an empty stomach, could more rapidly pass through the stomach into the small intestines. In his opinion, the administration of fluoxetine to Angie had to have occurred before her last meal of vegetable matter due to the low level of concentration of fluoxetine in the gastric contents.
Dr. Edward Barbieri, a forensic toxicologist at National Medical Services, explained that the levels of concentration of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in Angie’s blood and gastric
contents indicated therapeutic levels of Prozac taken chronically with an acute administration of a large dose of Prozac superimposed on top of the therapeutic dosage. Dr. Barbieri opined Angie had to have ingested the Prozac after her meal at Aunt Charlene’s house, but before her last meal of vegetable matter. Dr. Barbieri explained that an individual would have to ingest thirty to 100 forty-milligram capsules to reach the level of concentration fluoxetine in Angie’s blood. He also explained that the ingestion of that many capsules would show up as a mass of gelatinous material in the stomach. Angie’s autopsy report contained no finding of gelatinous material in the gastric contents, however. Dr. Barbieri stated that the fluoxetine capsules can be opened, the contents have a slightly bitter taste that can be masked with a sweetener, and ingestion of the contents with a liquid is an effective delivery system. He opined that this was a possible manner of administration in this case. In Dr. Barbieri’s opinion, fluoxetine was a contributory factor in Angie’s death that may have debilitated her, but it was not a competent cause of her death.
Angie took a therapeutic dose of Prozac in the months prior to her death. Angie’s obstetrics-gynecology nurse practitioner recognized no characteristics in Angie to indicate she was suffering from depression to the point of self-harm. Angie’s psychiatrist opined that Angie displayed no characteristics of self-harm or suicide. Angie’s psychiatry nurse practitioner found no characteristics of self-harm in Angie. Angie’s therapist stated she never found Angie to be someone who was working toward self-harm.
Defense investigator Glen Elam testified for the State regarding a letter he found at the Siesta residence on February 14, 2003, before the crime scene was destroyed. The letter appeared to be written by Angie to Abdullah, and it conveyed Angie’s thoughts on their relationship, Islam, and their children. A redacted version of the letter was read to the jury admitted only to show Angie’s state of mind and not for the truth. The letter below is the redacted version:
Both the redacted and unredacted versions of the letter are in the record, and the Court has reviewed both.
Azad,
I have once again found myself devastated by you and your behavior. I felt deep in my heart after you had made the Hajj our lives would be good again. I have lost all faith in that and you. I am writing you because I can't stand to hear more lies and watch you turn everything around and make it look like I am stupid and crazy.
The hardest part of being with you is the fact that you are such a hypocrite. On the outside you ACT [sic] like such a good Muslim. On the inside you are no better than What [sic] I cannot understand is that no matter what any Muslim in this town or any other sees, Allah, the all knowing and all seeing knows what a hypocrite you are. Now that you have completed the Hajj, the sins that you are repeating are not going to be forgiven. Why do you act like such a good Muslim when deep inside you are everything but one? I became a Muslim to better my life, not to find myself in this situation. How would you feel if I just quit practicing Islam? You would be ashamed and hurt. I am ashamed and hurt. You have two faces and Allah knows them both.
I KNOW [sic] you did not go to South Africa. Why lie to me about that? Not only did you lie about it, and then you made up all the information about what it was like. On top of that, I was in the hospital trying to keep our baby from coming too early.
I know you love me. I learned a long time ago that love is not enough. You must have respect, trust, belief, and security. I feel none of these for you. I don't think I ever can. The biggest issue is the children. I don't want my children (including [R.A.] ) to be raised by a hypocrite.
Before you tell me I am crazy and give me more lies, please remember, I do my homework before I confront anyone about anything. I will not tolerate more lies and deceit. I will not forgive anymore. I am
finished. There is nothing left in my heart.On November 9, 2004, the State rested its presentation of evidence, and the defense gave its opening statement. The defense presented testimony from (1) Abdullah’s former teacher and close friend Sherry Rogers; (2) Abdullah’s cousin Jihad Kurmay (Jihad); (3) Abdullah’s cousin Fuad Kurmay; (4) family friend Aida Meta; (5) fellow member of the Islamic Center of Boise Zaid Ahmed–Zaid; (6) realtor and Abdullah’s friend Furqan Mehmood (Mehmood); (7) Abdullah’s co-worker Brian Holford; (8) Abdullah’s sister Farma Abdullah (Farma); (9) human resource manager at Abdullah’s former employment Pam Chut; (10) Abdullah’s sister-in-law Mischa Harkovich (Harkovich); and (11) Abdullah’s acquaintance Rubina Gelel. This testimony generally showed Angie and Abdullah were happily married and Abdullah was a loving and caring father. Some testimony also addressed the vending machine business, the attempted sale of the home, and the items found at the crime scene. For example, Jihad testified that Abdullah wanted him to operate the vending machines in Nashville, Tennessee, but Abdullah would still own the machines. Similarly, Farma testified that Angie was trying to sell the vending machines. In addition, Mehmood discussed his involvement in Abdullah’s attempt to sell Angie’s home. Finally, Harkovich testified that she went with her husband (Abdullah’s brother), Abdullah’s father, and Abdullah to examine the crime scene on October 14, 2002. She testified that they found clothing and other items in the garage that they believed to be evidence and she gave those items to law enforcement the following day.
Dr. Groben testified for the defense that Angie had no defensive wounds and showed no signs of strangulation. Clay Ward, a licensed psychologist, opined that Angie had suicidal thoughts and displayed suicide risk factors based on his review of medical and autopsy records. Ashraf Mozayani, chief toxicologist and laboratory director for the Harris County Medical Examiner in Houston, Texas, testified that it was impossible for an individual to have such a high level of concentration of fluoxetine in the blood immediately before death with such a small level of concentration of fluoxetine in the gastric contents. Dr. Mozayani opined that Angie could have been a slow or poor metabolizer, which would explain the different concentration levels. Dr. Mozayani stated the contents inside the Prozac capsules have a very bitter taste that cannot be sweetened. Defense investigator Terry Murphy testified as well. Abdullah elected not to testify. On November 14, 2004, the defense rested.
In the State’s rebuttal case, a forensic psychologist opined that there was a very low probability Angie committed suicide on October 4–5, 2002. Similarly, Angie’s therapist testified on rebuttal that Angie never talked about suicide and would have never committed suicide because Angie’s last husband, A.H.’s father, committed suicide. Her therapist stated, “Angie would have never done that to [A.H.].” Additionally, ATF senior special agent Hart testified that there were no articles of clothing found in the garage. He explained that it was impossible for clothing to be found there because the firefighters removed all debris and applied water to the concrete floor. If anything remained, Hart explained, it would be charred remains of clothing due to the forty to fifty foot flames and fire temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.