Suspect accused of killing 3 Muslim men in Albuquerque found guilty of murder

A man was found guilty Monday of murder in one of three killings that sparked fear and widespread shock through a Muslim community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the summer of 2022.

Muhammad Syed, 53, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Aftab Hussein, 41, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office. Syed faces a sentence of life in prison and will also stand separate trials for the slayings of two other victims, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain, 25.

Syed was accused of fatally shooting three Muslim men in Albuquerque in 2022 and was also identified as the suspect in the murder of another Muslim man in 2021. No charges have been filed in that case.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching the guilty verdict, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors on Monday said they were pleased with the verdict but acknowledged that the motive behind the murders remained unclear.

Testimony and court filings addressed during the weeklong trial did not indicate a possible motive or provide details on any interactions that Syed might have had with Hussein before the July 2022 shooting.

“We were not able to uncover anything that we would indicate would be a motive that would explain this,” Deputy District Attorney David Waymire said outside the courthouse Monday. “As best we can tell, this could be a case of a serial killer where there’s a motive known only to them and not something that we can really understand.”

Defense attorneys said Syed's conviction would be appealed after the two other trials are complete.

Victims were ambushed 'with no warning'

A string of killings during the summer of 2022 shook Albuquerque's Muslim community and raised fears nationwide as communities questioned whether the attacks were motivated by racial or religious hate.

On July 26, authorities said Hussein was ambushed with an assault rifle as he exited his vehicle near his home in northeast Albuquerque. Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was found on Aug. 1 and had been shot while taking his evening walk. Four days later, Naeem Hussain was gunned down while he was sitting in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency in south Albuquerque.

Further investigation linked Syed to the death of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, who was killed on Nov. 7, 2021. Ahmadi was killed outside of a business he and his brother ran, according to Albuquerque police.

Ahmadi, Hussein, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain were "ambushed... with no warning, fired on and killed," Kyle Hartsock, who was the deputy commander of Albuquerque Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at the time, said in a statement. After the killing of Naeem Hussain, authorities sought help searching for a vehicle believed to be linked to the crimes, which resulted in tips that led to Syed.

Syed was detained more than 100 miles from Albuquerque on Aug. 9, 2022, and had denied involvement in the murders, according to police. He told authorities that he was driving to Texas to find a new home for his family, citing concerns over the killings in Albuquerque.

Originally from Afghanistan, Syed had been living in the United States for several years, according to Hartsock. He had "a few minor misdemeanor arrests," including for domestic violence, Hartsock said at the time.

Ambush-style killings shocked Muslim community

As authorities search for a possible motive in the killings, prosecutors said to jurors that the attacks were “willful and very deliberate” actions of another member of the Muslim community.

During the investigation, authorities said police received more than 200 tips, including one that led them to the Syed family. The tip alleged that Syed knew the victims and that "an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings," according to authorities.

Syed’s arrest stunned Albuquerque's Muslim community. City authorities had bolstered security measures and increased police presence at mosques and Muslim-affiliated schools during the search for Syed.

Contributing: Ashley R. Williams and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; The Associated Press