Yaser Mentioned discovered responsible of capital homicide in deaths of his two daughters

DALLAS, TEXAS (CBSDFW.com) – Yaser Mentioned, 65, was discovered responsible of capital homicide within the slayings of his two daughters Sarah, 17, and Amina, 18. 

A Dallas County jury reached the decision after round three hours of deliberation Tuesday.

On Monday, Mentioned took the stand in his personal protection and denied killing the teenagers, who have been each college students at Lewisville Excessive College. 

“Positively not, I didn’t kill my daughters,” stated Mentioned, whose testimony in Arabic was translated to English.

Mentioned testified that as he was driving to dinner along with his daughters on the night they have been killed, he thought somebody was following the taxi. He stated he didn’t know who it may be however assumed it may be pals of his daughters. He testified that he was fearful somebody would hurt him, so he left his daughters within the taxi and bumped into close by woods.

“I didn’t anticipate anybody would hurt them,” Mentioned testified.

Amina Mentioned’s boyfriend has testified that the night she and her sister have been killed, he and his father noticed them driving within the taxi with their father.

The sisters have been discovered useless in Mentioned’s taxicab on New Yr’s Day 2008. Sarah Mentioned was shot 9 occasions and Amina Mentioned was shot twice. Jurors heard a 911 name Sarah Mentioned made by cellphone, telling the operator that her father shot her.

“Assist,” Sarah was heard saying on the 911 name. “I am dying. Oh my God. Cease it.”

In a letter written to the choose overseeing the case, Mentioned admitted he was not joyful along with his children’ “courting exercise” however once more, denied killing his daughters.

“I used to be upset as a result of in my tradition it is one thing to get upset about,” stated Mentioned, who testified that he was born in Egypt, got here to the U.S. in 1983 and later grew to become a U.S. citizen.

Gail Gattrell, the sisters’ great-aunt, has referred to as the deaths an “honor killing,”  during which a girl is murdered by a relative to guard her household’s honor.

Prosecutor Lauren Black stated throughout opening statements that the sisters have been “very scared for his or her lives,” and the choice to depart was made after Mentioned “put a gun to Amina’s head and threatened to kill her.” Black informed jurors that Mentioned was “obsessive about possession and management.”

Mentioned’s former spouse, Patricia Owens, has testified that Mentioned ultimately had satisfied her to return to Texas from Oklahoma.

Protection lawyer Joseph Patton stated in opening statements that the proof wouldn’t help a conviction and that police have been too fast to deal with Mentioned. He additionally stated that in moments of utmost trauma, like being shot a number of occasions, individuals can have hallucinations.

Mentioned now faces a life sentence in jail with out parole.