A former interpreter for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan who lost both legs in combat was stabbed to death at the Houston, Texas, office he opened to assist other refugees trying to make new lives for themselves.
Masiullah Sahil, 37, is now facing murder charges over the March 26 death of Abdul Rahman Niazi, a 34-year-old father of five who was resettled in America in 2014. Sahil, who Niazi had reportedly helped, confessed to the crime while on the phone with Niazi’s wife, who called her husband shortly after he was killed, according to news reports and court filings reviewed by The Independent.
Sahil, who is also from Afghanistan, stabbed Niazi more than 20 times, prosecutors said during a probable cause hearing in court. Sahil was upset with how long it was taking for his refugee status to be approved, and, following an argument with Niazi over the apparent delay, went to his car and got a knife, investigators said.
Niazi “was more than a man; he was a pillar of our community,” according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by his family. It says Niazi “devoted his life” to new immigrants like himself, “ensuring they found safety, support, and hope.”
“Now, his grieving wife and five young children (all under 10 years old) are left behind, struggling to survive without their beloved husband and father,” the fundraiser states. “Their pain is unimaginable, and their future is uncertain.”
Sahil, who was booked into jail on Thursday and is being held on $750,000 bond, earns $3,000 a month as an Uber driver, a financial affidavit filed in Harris County District Court shows. Under the category “Special Needs,” Sahil is listed as having “mental problems,” according to the affidavit.
Carlo Stefan Torres, Sahil’s court-appointed public defender, did not immediately respond on Friday to a request for comment.
Niazi’s nephew, who did not want to be identified by name, told local Fox affiliate KRIV that his uncle “literally helped thousands of people around Houston, a lot of them underprivileged.” Sahil was among the recipients of Niazi’s kindness; his nephew told the outlet he put up “his own money and time” in having provided support to the man who would later be accused of taking his life.
After the stabbing, Niazi’s phone rang and Sahil answered it, the nephew said.
“The defendant admitted to stabbing [Niazi] to [Niazi’s] wife,” reads the complaint against Sahil.
Niazi’s nephew told KRIV that the wife called Niazi to come home for dinner, and that Sahil replied, “We have sent him to the afterlife.” One of Niazi’s young sons was also on the line, according to the nephew, who said the boy “was traumatized by what he heard.”
Of Sahil, the nephew said, “I want the man to be held accountable as soon as possible. It’s completely unacceptable.”
As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe appeal had raised nearly $50,000 of its $100,000 goal. Niazi’s funeral will be held on March 31 – the same day Sahil is due to make his preliminary court appearance.
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