An Afghan refugee who was previously convicted of first-degree murder in a fatal shooting that rattled Albuquerque’s Muslim community in 2022 has now pleaded no contest to two homicide charges related to two other killings. Muhammad Syed, 53, entered the pleas for two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain.
In March, Syed was found guilty by a jury in the shooting death of Aftab Hussein, 41, in July 2022. These three ambush-style killings occurred over several days, initially prompting concerns about potential hate crimes. However, investigators later determined the killings were the result of the intentional actions of a fellow member of the Muslim community.
Syed, who had settled in the U.S. with his family years prior, denied any involvement in the killings when he was apprehended over 100 miles away from Albuquerque. He claimed he was relocating his family to Texas due to safety concerns in Albuquerque.
Prosecutors from Bernalillo County indicated that Syed faces a life sentence for Aftab Hussein’s murder and will serve 30 years in prison for the no-contest pleas made in the other two cases. A date for his sentencing has not been scheduled.
The victims, Afzaal Hussain and Naeem Hussain, were killed in separate incidents in August 2022. Afzaal was shot while on an evening walk, while Naeem was gunned down while sitting in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency in Albuquerque.
Despite Syed’s conviction earlier in the year, prosecutors did not present a clear motive for the killings during the trial. While they highlighted Syed’s history of violence, his defense team pointed out that past allegations of domestic violence had not resulted in any convictions.
