A father evaded justice for twelve years after murdering his two teenage daughters
In short: Yaser Abdel Said controlled his family through surveillance and threats, eventually killing his daughters, Amina and Sarah, in his taxi cab on New Year's Day 2008. He spent over a decade as a fugitive, including six years on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list, before his eventual capture in 2020.
Born in Egypt in 1957, Yaser Abdel Said moved to the United States in 1983 and gained citizenship by 1997. Throughout his marriage to Patricia Owens, he exerted extreme control over his children, Amina and Sarah. He monitored them with audio and video equipment, punished them for social interactions, and repeatedly threatened their lives after discovering they were dating. In December 2007, the girls and their mother briefly fled to Oklahoma to escape his violence, but Said convinced them to return home just days before the murders.
On January 1, 2008, Said drove his daughters to Irving, Texas, under the guise of taking them to dinner. He shot both girls inside his taxi. Amina died immediately, while Sarah managed to call 911 before succumbing to nine gunshot wounds. Following the killings, Said vanished. For twelve years, he successfully avoided law enforcement, aided by family members including his son, Islam, and his brother, Yassein. During this time, he was featured on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, with a $100,000 reward offered for information leading to his arrest.
The investigation into his whereabouts intensified in 2017 after a maintenance worker identified Said at an apartment rented by his son. DNA evidence collected from the scene confirmed his presence, though he had already fled. In August 2020, authorities finally located and arrested Said at a home in Justin, Texas. His son and brother were subsequently convicted for their roles in helping him hide. In August 2022, a jury found Said guilty of capital murder, and he received a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release. He is currently held at the McConnell Unit in Texas.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Yaser Abdel Said
- Also: 504. Yaser Abdel Said — FBI
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