Saids abusive tendencies were evident early on when he sliced her leg open with a knife for refusing to have sex with him. Deciding to run away with two friends they confined in their mother their plans to escape their father. Prosecutors said Said was angry the girls were dating out of their culture and that they had recently ran away to be with their boyfriends. Prosecutors say that Mr Said shot and killed his daughters on New Years Day in 2008. 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. "He will kill us," Amina wrote. Trial of Texas man accused of murdering daughters in 'honor killings Defense team member Baharan Muse pressed whether anyone said that Said was at the hotel that night. She said she urged Amina to return home on the day of the murders even though the teen said she feared for her life. agreed at one point. Owens said Said had previously threatened Amina with a gun. The defense is also expected to try to discredit Sarah's chilling 911 call, played before the jury on Wednesday, where she said her father shot her. Police have described the murders as "honor killings.". They all headed for Kansas to Patricias aunts home. She testified Said was controlling and abusive throughout most of their relationship. 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. Yaser Said found guilty of capital murder in 2008 slayings of daughters "Yes," Owens said. 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. His defence attorneys have claimed that he was blamed for the killings because hes Muslim. Former Irving police officer Steven Hazard testified he believed the girls were not shot at the location they were found. I just thought he would, like, punish them, like take their phone away and stuff like that, she said. Both men were charged with harboring a known fugitive and are now serving time in federal prison. This is just killing. I felt scared not to go back, Owens explained. Prosecutors claim Said's daughters made an outcry that he'd sexually abused them and had touched them inappropriately. The murderer was my husband, and those girls were my beautiful, brilliant, talented daughters. You can also check out a post where Patricia laments the death of the girls. The state also called the lead Irving PD detective to the stand. And he controlled everything in his household. A prosecutor picked at Said's story and asked why he was on the run for 12 years if he was not guilty despite seeing media reports that he was wanted. Investigators say Yaser Said murdered his two teenage daughters, Sarah and Amina, in 2008 in so-called honor killings for dating outside their faith. Yaser Said is accused of shooting to death his two daughters on Jan. 1, 2008 . Dr. Brasheer Ahmed, with the Muslim Community Center in North Richland Hills, told NBC 5 in 2020, following Said's arrest, that murder was against Islamic principal. It was the happiest moment he is caught, and justice can be served for Amina and Sarah.. On Wednesday, the prosecution played the 911 call allegedly made by Sarah on the night of her death. The defense questioned why law enforcement didn't consider anyone else to be a suspect. "Theres almost 24 hours we dont know where that cab went," he said. Speaking through an interpreter in his native Arabic, Said testified someone else is responsible for the crime, but investigators never found that person because they only pursued him. Were here to offer condolences, continued condolence to this family, but were also here to see that justice is done which it was, Creuzot said. Breaking down several times on the stand, Owens testified that her daughters, Sarah and Amina, told her in 1998 that Said had touched them. In a letter written to the judge, Said wrote that he was not happy with his daughters dating activity but he denied killing them. Speaking through an interpreter in his native Arabic, Said testified someone else is responsible for the crime, but investigators never found that person because they only pursued him. The state wants to convict Yaser for being Muslim in 2008," said Patton. The trial is expected to continue throughout the week. According to Patricia, she didnt marry Yaser out of love. Patricia made call after call to Amina begging her to come home throughout the day saying her father had forgiven her and they were all going to go out to eat but Amina again refused. They had been dating men who werent Muslim. Authorities believe that the daughters were shot before 7:30 p.m. near the Omni Hotel. Now prosecutors are picking at every issue in his story. While she left Said several times throughout their marriage, Owens said she always returned out of fear. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, murdering his two daughters in honor killings, Pakistan arrests man in honor killing of teen daughter who rejected arranged marriage, Indian woman murdered, dumped in suitcase by parents for marrying a man from different caste, Honor killings trial starts for Texas father accused of gunning down daughters, Brother acquitted for honor killing of Pakistans Kim Kardashian. Joe Hennig, referring to his original report, testified the girls mother and brother told him Said carried a gun in his cab. Caught in 2020. https://t.co/R77vHTz043 pic.twitter.com/ApAbeA3VgF. He also said evidence on Sarahs body indicated she was shot at very close range. On Thursday, the mother of Amina and Sarah Said took the stand. Yaser Said had been a fugitive from justice since New Year's Day 2008, when he allegedly murdered his teenage daughters, Amina and Sarah. "One of the people in the passenger seat looked like shes hunched over," he recalled. @NBCDFW https://t.co/X5svQKi9it pic.twitter.com/ZmIM6Lof1n, Prosecutors asked Owens if she had any idea what might have happened to her daughters when they left to eat with their father and she said, Part of me did. Each girl, they said, had been shot multiple times. Owens, who. Owens claimed she left Said multiple times during the marriage and described him as controlling. A year after they married, she gave birth to their son, Islam. During a conversation Patricia stated if she took her daughters back to Texas Yaser would definitely kill them. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassim Said, were subsequently convicted of helping him evade arrest. In all fairness to her, shes commented that in her belief, Yaser would not abuse his daughters. Owens said the family moved to Bedford, and then to Lewisville in 2006. Yaser Abdel Said's Wife Now: Where is Patricia Owens Today? His defense said no one will testify they saw Said at the crime scene, adding police should have investigated the girls' mother or Amina's boyfriend. Texas father Yaser Said stands accused of shooting and killing his daughters in his taxi, in what has been reported as an honour killing. I am very happy now. On Thursday, the mother of Amina and Sarah Said took the stand. 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. Yaser found out that both girls were dating in the fall of 2007 and like many times before he pulled a gun on Amina and Sarah and threatened to kill them for not following his rules. Said refused to look up as two medical examiners who conducted the victims autopsies took the stand and described photographs of each victims examination displayed in the courtroom. He said he did not turn himself in to authorities because he feared he would not get a fair trial. 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. Amina and Sarah Said were murdered by their father Yaser Abdul Said an Egyptian immigrant on January 1st 2008. And he controlled everything in his household, prosecutor says, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Mother of murdered girls calls ex-husband the devil in honor killings trial. DALLAS, Texas - Yaser Said was back in court on Thursday after an emotional day of testimony from some of the first membersof law enforcement to visit the murder scene of Said's two daughters. She could have returned her daughters back to their father so the murders could take place as planned. 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. Prosecutors continue trying to build their case against a father accused of murdering his teenage daughters. I didnt think anything would happen, she testified. They will be sequestered in a hotel if deliberations continue for more than a day. The mother, Patricia Owens, who is divorced from Said, testified that he convinced her to return to Texas. Hopefully, with Yaser facing the consequences of his actions, Patricia will be able to start moving on with her life. We took him into custody without incident., Reports at 4, 5 @NBCDFW Day 4 of Yaser Said cap murder trial.This Bedford apt maintenance worker is who IDd Said in 2017. 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. He wanted me to go back to him and if I didnt go back to him, he threatened to kill me and my family, Ms Owens said, The Daily Beast reported. In her opening statement on Tuesday, prosecutor Lauren Black said that he controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date. Sarah's boyfriend testified about why she kept their relationship a secret. A Fort Worth man and his family say they are terrified and angry after the FBI originally posted his photo and identified him as the suspected shooter that killed five people near Houston Friday night. According to law enforcement, he shot the girls to. In 1998, while living near Waco, Texas, Owens filed a report with the Hill County Sheriffs Office accusing Said of sexually abusing the two girls. Part of me didnt" before saying, "I'm sorry.". After six years, Yaser Said is still at large. Yaser had plans for the girls to marry in an arranged marriage. [ATTORNEY: "Why would you go back?"] The death penalty was not an option in this case. Patricia Owens, who is Yaser Said's former wife and the mother of the girls, told federal authorities that members of his family had indicated to her "little remorse for the victims," and. Patricia Owens and 18 . Both Sarah and Amina appeared at school with bruises, and at one point Amina even had a split lip. He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date. You deserve to die, Owens said. Amina called and her mother asked her to come home, again Amina refused. "They were the last people to see Amina and Sarah alive," he said. Whether the girls were victims of an honor killing for allegedly bringing dishonor to their family has been widely speculated by loved ones and media since their murder in 2008. Patricia moved in with Saids brother after he fled upon killing Amina and Sarah. During opening statements Tuesday morning, prosecutor Lauren Black said Said was "obsessed with possession and control.". If convicted, Yaser Said faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Amina and Sarah said were both shot to death sitting in an orange jet taxi. He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date. Sarah suffered nine gunshot wounds, mostly to her abdomen, according to the medical examiner. The girls, who were both students at Lewisville High School, were reportedly shot multiple times by their father. After learning about the allegations, Owens said that she went with the daughters to the Hill County Sheriffs Department to make a report before moving to another town to be near her sister. A detective and construction worker were among the witnesses called in the trial of Yaser Said this Friday afternoon. 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. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! When they were little, Amina and Sarah Said told their mother their dad abused them and they fledonly to return time and again to Yaser Saids control. Also called to the stand Thursday was the owner of the taxi cab. About a week before the sisters were killed, they and their mother fled their home in Lewisville to Oklahoma to get away from their dad, who worked as a taxi driver, Black said. Defense attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the evidence would not support a conviction, that police were too quick to focus on Said, who was born in Egypt, and suggested that anti-Muslim sentiment played into that focus. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Instead, prosecutors say, Said shot the girls multiple times in the cab he drove and left them for dead outside a hotel in suburban Irving. As per Patricia, Yasers brother told her, Yaser didnt want to raise whores as daughters. She also noted that one of the brothers said that Patricia was lucky Yaser left the bodies to be found so that the girls could be buried. Sarah's boyfriend testified about why she kept their relationship a secret. Part of me didnt" before saying, "I'm sorry.". Yaser Abdel Said, a strict and controlling father, is suspected in the 2008 shooting death of his two daughters in Texas. The father said he loved his daughters and is not to blame for their killing. For 12 years, Said evaded arrest for the January 1, 2008, fatal shootings of his two daughters, Amina (18) and Sarah (17). 'That devil there': Mother of Sarah, Amina Said testifies at - MSN Said disappeared and had not been seen for 12 years until his arrest in Justin by the FBI in August 2020. Said took the stand as the only defense witness Monday. More than 58 people are expected to be called to testify, including the girls' mother as well as local and federal investigators and experts on Muslim culture. He said he fled the taxi he was driving that evening because he thought they were being followed and someone wanted to kill him. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Caught in 2020. https://t.co/R77vHTz043 pic.twitter.com/ApAbeA3VgF. Im dying! After the verdict, Patricia Owens, Said's ex-wife and mother of the victims spoke directly to him in a victim impact statement. I could see a young lady who had her eyes fixed open and there was stuff coming out of her nose, said Watson. ", Patricia Owens, the mother of Sarah and Amina Said, takes the stand in the trial of Yaser Said. Ms Owens testified that she left Mr Said multiple times but that fear forced her back. Said entered a not guilty plea Tuesday and faces an automatic life sentence if convicted. [ATTORNEY: "Did you comprehend what could happen to her?"] Send it to The Daily Beasthere. In August 2020 Said was arrested in Justin and two relatives were arrested in Euless. The film furthers speculation the girls' father objected to his daughters living an "American lifestyle.". This is a case where there are no witnesses," Lollar said. The defense team claims that Said was targeted due to anti-Muslim bias. A boyfriend was not permissible under his rules. Even then, Amina refused to go back to the house, fearful of the repercussions. The charges were ultimately dropped after the girls recanted out of fear of their father, she said. The evening the sisters were shot, their father wanted to take just the two of them to a restaurant, she said. Owens was 15 years old when she married 29-year-old Yaser Said in February 1987. It is wrong for the government to generalize an entire culture, criminalize an entire culture, to fit their narrative, and to fit their objective, Patton said on Tuesday. He told jurors he was not with the girls when they died and someone else is to blame. FBI had been in touch w/apt management bc Saids son lived there. The honour killing allegedly occurred outside Dallas after he found out that they had begun dating and that he wasnt able to control them. 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. Owens told the jury Said left messages on their cell phones begging them to come back. "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. He said the investigation of the crime was weak and the real killer was not identified. If convicted of capital murder, he would automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Reports suggest that shes in Arlington, Texas, having resided in several places before including Bedford and Lewisville. [ATTORNEY: "Yaser is apparently very happy to see his daughters again."] @NBCDFWhttps://t.co/R77vHTz043 pic.twitter.com/5eP4TqCGdS. Said spent six years on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List before he was arrested in Justin in August 2020. You deserve a lot more than what the judge gave to you. 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. He testified he didnt even know Said was driving the cab. A short time later, the sisters were found shot to death in the cab in Irving. Yaser Said Honor Killings Trial Testimony Harrowing | Crime News There's no such thing as an honor killing, you kill somebody there's no honor to it. 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. On Friday, that phrase took center stage. Trial begins for father accused in 2008 'honor killings' of - AOL In moments of extreme trauma, like being shot multiple times, people can have hallucinations, Patton said. They arrived back in Texas on New Years eve when the girls learned that their mother was going back home to Yaser. Patricia Owens called her ex-husband, Yaser Said, 65, 'that devil' during the murder trial of their two teenage daughters on Thursday Said, who was once on the FBI's Most Wanted List, is. Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. The sisters had become "very scared for their lives," and the decision to leave was made after Said "put a gun to Amina's head and threatened to kill her," the prosecutor said. That evening Patricia drove to Amina boyfriends parents to talk to her daughter. Mother of two girls allegedly killed by their father tells trial he Yaser Said Honor Killing Trial Over Murder of Sarah and Amina Underway in Dallas HOMEPAGE Crime & Justice Chilling 911 Call Fingers Dad in Horrific Texas 'Honor Killing' Trial SMOKING GUN After. Yaser Said: Trial shares graphic details in teens' murder - WFAA 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. They both were victims of their abusive father, Yaser, on several occasions. The defense did not try to explain Said's whereabouts. He said Said didnt fill out the necessary paperwork and was loaned the cab from someone else. He wanted me to go back to him and if I didnt go back to him, he threatened to kill me and my family, Owens said, adding that Said stated he wanted to kill her after she filed the charges. 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. Prosecutors claim Said murdered the girls inside his cab in Irving because was upset that his children were dating. Former Irving police officer Steven Hazard testified he believed the girls were not shot at the location they were found. She gave birth to Amina, Sarah, and their brother Islam in the first three years of their marriage. @NBCDFW https://t.co/X5svQKi9it pic.twitter.com/ZmIM6Lof1n, Prosecutors asked Owens if she had any idea what might have happened to her daughters when they left to eat with their father and she said, Part of me did. Amina suffered two gunshot wounds, including a fatal wound to the chest.