Albuquerque murder suspect in slayings of Muslim men held in jail; 'Incapable of following the law'

The New Mexico man suspected of murdering four Muslim victims – and charged so far in the deaths of two of them – has been ordered to be held without bond pending trial as prosecutors argued that he was a danger to his own family and the greater community.

Muhammad Syed, a 51-year-old Afghan refugee, appeared in New Mexico district court for a detention hearing on Wednesday, when prosecutors argued that the man is "incapable of following the law, period."

Prosecutors pointed to Muhammad Syed's previous record, which included allegations of domestic violence and a case in which he refused to stop for law enforcement after running a red light. Charges in those cases were eventually dropped, but they argued that Syed's history showed a pattern of violence.

"The defendant is really incapable of following any sort of lawful orders…" said John Duran, an assistant district attorney. "The defendant has really no regard for any law. It seems apparent he has further no regard for any human life."

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Four men – all Muslim and from South Asia – were ambushed, shot, and killed in Albuquerque since November 2021. 

Syed has been charged with two counts of murder, but police have also identified him as the "most likely" suspect in connection with the other slayings. With the help of an interpreter, he "denied having any involvement in the murders in this case," the criminal complaint alleges. 

Police are still working to determine whether the killings will ultimately be classified as hate crimes.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Syed’s defense attorneys argued that he had no criminal record since the previous cases were not pursued. They also tried to argue that he was not a flight risk and had lived at the same address for two years.

Judge Joseph Montano denied a bid by Syed's attorneys to have the defendant placed on house arrest, finding that no conditions of release would prevent him from leaving his home or from committing a crime.

The judge also pointed to a criminal complaint that accused Syed of lying in wait for the victims and the ballistic evidence amassed by investigators so far.

"The weight of the evidence here is high," Montano said.

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So far, Syed has only been charged for the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and Aftab Hussein. 

Hussein, 41, was slain on the night of July 26 after parking his car in the usual spot near his home. Afzaal Hussain, a 27-year-old urban planner who had worked on the campaign of a New Mexico congresswoman, was gunned down on Aug. 1 while taking his evening walk.

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Syed is the primary suspect — but hasn’t been charged — in the death of Naeem Hussain, 25, who was shot Aug. 5 in the parking lot of a refugee resettlement agency in southeast Albuquerque, and the slaying of Muhammad Zahir Ahmadi, a 62-year-old Afghan immigrant who was fatally shot in the head last November behind the market he owned in the city.

President Biden wrote in a tweet earlier this month that he was "angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque."

"While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families," he tweeted, "and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America."

Syed, a Sunni Muslim, moved to the United States five years ago from Afghanistan, police said. He told police he previously fought the Taliban as a member of the Afghani special forces.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Albuquerque police, investigators determined that bullet casings found in Muhammad Syed’s vehicle matched the caliber of the weapons believed to have been used in two of the killings and that casings found at the crime scenes were linked to guns found at Syed’s home and in his vehicle.

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Federal authorities in court filings have pointed to cell phone records and accused one of Syed's sons of possibly helping his father track Naeem Hussain before he was killed. Shaheen Syed's attorney said those accusations are thin and dismissed prosecutors claims that the younger Syed provided a false address when purchasing a gun from a local shop in 2021.

Police were offering a hefty reward for information leading to their suspect, and said they received over 200 tips in connection with the manhunt. 

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According to the criminal complaint, police and the FBI received "multiple tips" leading investigators to Syed, including many said he drove a gray Volkswagen sedan or who "stated that Muhammad was the shooter in the homicides of the Muslim men in Albuquerque."

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The tip that led to Syed's arrest came from the Muslim community after pictures of the car were released to the public on Sunday, police said. 

Police also questioned Syed’s sons, but have not charged either in connection with the slayings. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.