Amina's boyfriend testified he and his father indeed saw Said and both girls in his cab shortly before the shooting and that they briefly followed them out of concern. She could have returned her daughters back to their father so the murders could take place as planned. Patricia Owens, YaserSaids former wife, had not seen him since New Years Day of 2008 when he took their daughters Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, to dinner and insisted on going alone so they could talk. Years later, on New Years Day in 2008, prosecutors allege that Said shot his daughters in an honor killing outside Dallas after learning they had begun dating and could no longer control them. The grisly execution came days after Owens and her daughters had escaped from Said, even successfully relocating to Oklahoma before returning to Texas after he reported them missing. Amina called and her mother asked her to come home, again Amina refused. More than 50 people were called to testify, including the girls' mother as well as local and federal investigators and experts on Muslim culture. We've received your submission. One of those times, she said, was in 1998 after her daughters accused him of abuse. "It is wrong for the government to generalize an entire culture, criminalize an entire culture, to fit their narrative, and to fit their objective. That revelation, in part, prompted Owens to flee the family home with her two daughters on Christmas Day 2007, packing clothes in trash bags and heading to Oklahoma. An emotional Ms Owens said that Sarah and Amina told her back in 1998 that their father had sexually assaulted them. "I do not have first-hand knowledge of what an honor killing is. "The doorman told me there were a couple of people in a cab that were hurt really bad and that I needed to come out to the front drive," he said. I'm dying, I'm dying!". Black said the sisters, both high school students in Lewisville, dreamed of becoming doctors, and that Yaser Said grew "angrier" as they grew up and became more educated and independent. The Crime Junkie podcast unravels all details of the case, but nobody quite knows what was Patricias initial stance about the alleged physical and sexual abuse meted out to Amina and Sarah. He said the investigation of the crime was weak and the real killer was not identified. Yaser Said, who had been sought on a capital murder warrant since the slayings, was placed on the FBI's most-wanted list. He said he fled the taxi he was driving that evening because he thought they were being followed and someone wanted to kill him. The relatives were identified by the Dallas FBI as Said's brother Yassein and his son Islam. The abuse was permitted (or at least not stopped) by their American mother, Patricia. She added that she and the kids left Said several times over the years, but always came back. The mother of two girls who were allegedly killed by their father has told his murder trial that he molested the teenagers. It's a murder," Irving Police Detective Joe Henning said. They both were victims of their abusive father, Yaser, on several occasions. In late 2007, Owens and her daughters fled again to Tulsa, Okla., after the girls feared their father would kill them if he learned they had both become engaged to their boyfriends. Said, who was arrested in August 2020 after more than a decade on the lam, has maintained his innocence and his lawyer has argued that he is being targeted by law enforcement for being Muslim in a post-Sept. 11 world. It wasnt until December 2007, however, when prosecutors allege Said put a gun to Aminas head and threatened to kill her, that the teenagers and their mother began to hatch their plan to escape shortly before Christmas. Yaser Said sat emotionless, holding a finger to his ear to listen to the disturbing audio. Please join us in the fight for justice for Amina and Sarah Said by calling on the Irving Police to revise this case and interrogate Patricia Owens Said and Islam Said. Where is Patricia Said Today? Before she died, Sarah was able to call 911 and told the operator, "Help, my dad shot me! A detective and construction worker were among the witnesses called in the trial of Yaser Said this Friday afternoon. They moved to Oklahoma but later went back to Texas when Mr Said reported them as missing. Ms Owens testified that she had been aware that her daughters had boyfriends, but that the three of them had kept it quiet for fear of reprisals. [ATTORNEY: "Did you comprehend what could happen to her?"] The shocking accusation against Yaser Said came during testimony by his ex-wife, Patricia Owen, in Dallas County Court on Thursday during his capital murder trial. Hotel employee Nathan Watson testified about the moment a taxi cab driver reported seeing two injured people in the cab lane of the hotel. "I dont know. The girls, who were both students at Lewisville High School, were reportedly shot multiple times by their father. But the prosecution's questioning of law enforcement showed the evidence pointed to Said, who disappeared the night of the murders. And I feel the media was against me in a certain direction, that I would not get a fair trial," Said said. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of capital murder. "Because I believed behind this coverage there was a secret agenda. Former Irving police officer Steven Hazard testified he believed the girls were not shot at the location they were found. Silence filled Dallas County District Court 7 Wednesday as prosecutors prepared to present the chilling 911 call made by a dying Sarah Said on New Year 2008. "Under no way, this is honor killing. Around the time, Sarah Said called 911 twice, stressing she was dying after her father shot her. Prosecutors allege that after the murders, Said evaded authorities for 12 years, landing him on the FBIs Most Wanted List before he was ultimately found in 2020 hiding about 40 minutes away from the crime scene in Justin, Texas. Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. Awful testimony in Yaser Said trial: Medical examiners explained autopsy pics; girls clothes. The state also called the lead Irving PD detective to the stand. She was soft-spoken on the witness stand, but her message about how she felt about her ex-husband was loud and clear . She said she married him at the age of 15, with the permission of her parents after dating for three weeks and had three children with him over the next three years. They will be sequestered in a hotel if deliberations continue for more than a day. In all fairness to her, shes commented that in her belief, Yaser would not abuse his daughters. The suspect shot the officer in the leg and shoulder. Owens, who visibly had trouble on the stand and has been diagnosed with PTSD and is on medication, said she met Said when she was 14 and he was 29. [ATTORNEY: "Why would you go back?"] Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. Amina informed her friends the wounds were inflicted by her father, and her mother refused to allow her to seek medical attention. "She didn't want to go back home, she would rather be dead than ever go back there," Moggio testified. Her chilling 911 call was played before the jury on Wednesday where she was heard saying her father shot her and that she was dying. Amina gives in and goes home with her mother and within a couple hours Amina and Sarah were shot to death by their father. In August 2020 Said was arrested in Justin and two relatives were arrested in Euless. Amina knew what could happen to her."] The film furthers speculation the girls' father objected to his daughters living an "American lifestyle.". Upon the SWAT teams notice and knock announced, the defendant came out and surrendered, said Gimenez. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! Owens said that while she knew about her daughters boyfriends, the trio kept the information from her husband out of fear of his reaction. If it were him, hed have made the bodies disappear. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A member of the defence team claimed during opening arguments that Mr Said had been targeted for being Muslim, adding that all the 911 calls reveal is that Sarah was in extreme trauma. The potential key piece of evidence was admitted on day two of testimony, despite objections by the defense who previously cautioned jurors their expert will later testify that the 17-year-old victim may have been hallucinating after being shot nine times when she named her father as her shooter. The cause of death for both victims was listed as multiple gunshot wounds and homicide as the manner of death. Owens was told to stay home as her husband drove around her daughters to talk. Owens, who. The father said he loved his daughters and is not to blame for their killing. On Christmas Day, after Mr Said went to work, Ms Owens testified that they fled to Oklahoma with their clothes in trash bags. "He will kill us," Amina wrote. The defense rested after the defendant's testimony. The K9 was also shot once. The girls managed to run away of the home to their mothers job where the girls also had part time jobs. That evening Patricia drove to Amina boyfriends parents to talk to her daughter. "They were the last people to see Amina and Sarah alive," he said. At the time, Amina would have been around 8 years old and Sarah would have been 7. Upon the SWAT teams notice and knock announced, the defendant came out and surrendered, said Gimenez. The capital murder trial of Yaser Abdel Said, a 65-year-old cab driver from Lewisville accused of murdering his two teenage daughters in a purported "honor killing" continued Thursday in Dallas with the girls' mother taking the stand. I didnt ask my employees if they had seen him other than if theyd seen the driver from the cab," Watson said. The honour killing allegedly occurred outside Dallas after he found out that they had begun dating and that he wasnt able to control them. Johnson testified that after the murders, Owens turned over a green ammo box she claimed belonged to Said. My father shot me. Im dying, yelled a frantic woman identified as Sarah. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Mr Said told Ms Owens to stay home while he went for a drive with the teens to talk. According to law enforcement, he shot the girls to. The film furthers speculation the girls' father objected to his daughters living an "American lifestyle.". Cross examination is done with Patricia Owens (mom of Sarah and Amina) - who testified that when girls returned home days before their murders Yaser Said appeared happy; when Amina came back last he kissed her on the forehead and shed a tear. Both men were charged with harboring a known fugitive and are now serving time in federal prison. It is wrong for the government to generalize an entire culture, criminalize an entire culture, to fit their narrative, and to fit their objective, Mr Patton said in court on Tuesday, according to The Daily Beast. The judge said the jury would be given instructions and closing arguments would be delivered Tuesday morning. However, Patricia herself, who married Yaser when she was 16, spoke about how he beat her. She's spoken about why Yaser might have wanted to kill his daughters. Owens said her ex-husband was abusive and controlling and would look over the girls' phone records and would call numbers to see if they belonged to a boy or a girl. This is just killing. Sarah's boyfriend testified about why she kept their relationship a secret. After the slayings, Said was sought on a capital murder warrant and was placed on the FBIs most-wanted list. Patrica Owens, Yaser Said's ex-wife, testified before the jury Thursday morning and said why she fled her home with her daughters only to return days before they were killed. On Friday, that phrase took center stage. On Friday, graphic crime scene evidence was shown to the jury, including bullet-riddled clothing worn by the girls on the night of the murders. Prosecutors allege that Said eventually lured his daughters into his taxi, where Amina was sitting in the front passenger seat and Sarah was in the back. A film made about the murders, "The Price of Honor," alleges the girls were killed by their father as an "honor killing," a cultural practice where someone is killed after bringing shame on their family. The father said he loved his daughters and is not to blame for their killing. Theres someone in the back as well.". And he controlled everything in his household. Patricia Owens holds up photos of her daughters 18-year-old Amina Said (center) and 17-year-old Sarah Said as she walks up to the stand to give a victim impact statement to Yaser Said after his . I could see a young lady who had her eyes fixed open and there was stuff coming out of her nose, said Watson. Police have described the murders as "honor killings.". Since then, the Said familys been through hell with Yaser murdering his daughters and fleeing. He said nothing would happen to him, Ms Owens said, with Mr Said present in the courtroom. The former wife of murder suspect Yaser Said testified on Thursday that she asked if she could go with him and their two daughters for dinner on the night of Jan. 1, 2008. He said he assumed that he was the target and so he claimed he got out of the car at an Irving Transit Center where he assumed the girls would be safe. If convicted, Said will face life in prison. The authorities think that the daughters were shot and killed around 7.30pm close to the Omni Hotel. Said took the stand as the only defense witness Monday. "And I was told that nobody had seen the cab driver.". This should be taken as a proof that the information is not clear and search deeply into these murders. I am very happy now. John Schingle testified the GPS in the taxi cab had been turned off the night before the murders. The prosecution is expected to call more than 40 witnesses to the stand over the course of the trial. You deserve a lot more than what the judge gave to you. An Atlanta based band that was in North Texas for a show said their equipment was stolen from their hotel Friday night. But, Patricia maintained that if she saw her ex-husband again, shed first call the authorities and then ask him why and how someone could murder his daughters. Sarah suffered nine gunshot wounds, mostly to her abdomen, according to the medical examiner. Ms Owens said the charges against Mr Said were dropped after the girls withdrew their statements to police because they were scared of Mr Said. Silence filled Dallas County District Court 7 Wednesday as prosecutors prepared to present the chilling 911 call made by a dying Sarah Said on New Year 2008. "Theres almost 24 hours we dont know where that cab went," he said. "They were the last people to see Amina and Sarah alive," he said. The next morning, on New Years, Amina's friend received a text message from Sarah asking Amina to call her mom. Irving Police Department not only refuses to bring charges against Patricia Owens, Islam Said or any of the bothers of Yaser Said but they didnt even care to officially interrogate them. Closing arguments concluded and jury deliberation began shortly before 11 a.m. Yaser Said took the stand in his own defense Monday and said he is not the blame for the 2008 murders of his daughters. Yaser Said's defense attorney, Joseph Patton, told jurors that Said was a suspect because he is Muslim, and that evidence would indicate the investigation was botched. Owens said Said had previously threatened Amina with a gun. The last time was fatal. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassim Said, were subsequently convicted of helping him evade arrest. Yaser Said is accused of shooting to death his two daughters on Jan. 1, 2008 . Hopefully, with Yaser facing the consequences of his actions, Patricia will be able to start moving on with her life. 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. Liesbeth Powers/The Dallas Morning News via. A film made about the murders, "The Price of Honor," alleged the girls were killed by their father as an "honor killing," a cultural practice where someone is killed after bringing shame on their family. Cross examination is done with Patricia Owens (mom of Sarah and Amina) - who testified that when girls returned home days before their murders Yaser Said appeared happy; when Amina came back last he kissed her on the forehead and shed a tear. Defense team member Baharan Muse pressed whether anyone said that Said was at the hotel that night. . And this is not acceptable," Ahmed said. Patricia has given several interviews in the past six years and most of them are very contradictory. And he controlled everything in his household, prosecutor Lauren Black said during opening statements on Tuesday. Caught in 2020. https://t.co/R77vHTz043 pic.twitter.com/ApAbeA3VgF. Patricia Owens, the mother of Amina and Sarah Said, took the stand Thursday. The father told the courtroom that he only wanted to take his two daughters to dinner on New Year's Day 2008 but on the road in his taxi, he said he saw someone following them. "Theres no forensic science to it.". Patrica Owens, Yaser Said's ex-wife, testified before the jury Thursday morning and said why she fled her home with her daughters only to return days before they were killed. Owens said the family moved to Bedford, and then to Lewisville in 2006. On cross examination, the defense tried to paint their outing in a positive light. She added that after she was told of the assault, she took her daughters to make a report at the Hill County Sheriffs Department. Police allege these were honor killings committed by an abusive, controlling and possessive father who was angry his daughters dated outside their culture and had left home recently. Amina and Sarah said were both shot to death sitting in an orange jet taxi. The girls and the friends agreed to allow Patricia to go along. Owens has testified that Yaser Said had threatened Amina with a gun. During closing arguments Tuesday, the prosecution recapped the deaths of the two girls and the evidence against Said. The potential key piece of evidence was admitted on day two of testimony, despite objections by the defense who previously cautioned jurors their expert will later testify that the 17-year-old victim may have been hallucinating after being shot nine times when she named her father as her shooter. The manager gave Patricia days off from work to take the girls to a safe place and call the police, even taking donations among the store employees to help Patricia get her daughters protection. Said disappeared simultaneously with the girls' murders and eluded police and the FBI for 12 years before he was finally captured. Defense lawyers unsuccessfully tried to limit the scope of cross-examination. Each girl, they said, had been shot multiple times. Owens said on the day her daughter returned Yaser appeared happy and he kissed her on the forehead and shed a tear. Im dying, Sarah said in the recording. Yeah, I'm sorry," she replied. The trial is expected to continue throughout the week. "Something would happen to me or something would happen to her," Erik Panameno told jurors. Part of me didnt" before saying, "I'm sorry.". Chief Dallas County Public Defender Brad Lollar said the conviction will be appealed. The next day Patricia bought a new cell phone and now had a number Yaser didnt have, they rented an apartment and bought some furniture and the girls felt a little safer. "When they had more independence, that was less control for him," Black said. The evening the sisters were shot, their father wanted to take just the two of them to a restaurant, she said. The judge also allowed prosecutors to tell jurors about allegations that Said sexually abused his own daughters, who later recanted. Ms Owens added that another factor in the return to Texas was for Amina for graduate high school and not put her college scholarship at risk. 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You are a prisoner and a murderer and the devil.. The mother, Patricia Owens, who is divorced from Said, testified that he convinced her to return to Texas. Part of me didnt" before saying, "I'm sorry.". The mothers sister and victim's aunt, Connie Moggio, told 65-year-old Said she hopes the remainder of his years in prison are filled with his worst nightmares. Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. Said is accused of murdering his two teenage daughters, Amina and Sarah Said, in 2008. He said nothing would happen to him.. On Wednesday, the prosecution played the 911 call allegedly made by Sarah on the night of her death. "Her look was in fear, she didn't look like she wanted to be there," said Amina's boyfriend Edgar Ruiz. The server is misbehaving. Unfortunately unknown to Amina and Sarah and the boyfriends, their mother was talking to their father and planning on returning back to her husband. They then moved to another area, closer to Ms Owens sister. "Under no way, this is honor killing. "Yes," Owens said. She was soft-spoken on the witness stand, but her message about how she felt about her ex-husband was loud and clear when referring to him as the "devil.". Sarah's boyfriend testified about why she kept their relationship a secret. She later dropped the charges filed in Garland, but Ms Owens added that she sought a protective order against Mr Said for her daughters in October 1998. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
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