Accused murderer leaves U.S. from Virginia mental health facility

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Accused murderer flees U.S. from Virginia mental health facility

A man accused of murder fled the U.S. on a weekend pass from a Virginia mental health facility

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. -An accused murderer who was committed to a Northern Virginia mental health facility left the country on a one-way international flight while out on a weekend pass, according to details from an August 5 court document

What we know:

Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was accused of murdering his landlord in 2019 after investigators arrived at the scene and found him covered in blood

He was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in 2022

In June, a judge reaffirmed that Toshpulodzoda “shall not be released from custody and inpatient hospitalization without further order of this court.”

However, Virginia law allows a mental health hospital to grant committed individuals, including those accused of murder, permission to leave the facility without an escort on day or weekend passes

In 2024, Toshpulodzoda was allowed to leave Virginia last year to travel to Washington, D.C., to get a passport, a move supported by the Commonwealth’s Attorney

According to court documents, on July 6, while out on a weekend pass, Toshpulodzoda went to Dulles Airport and boarded a one-way flight to Tajikistan

Documents attached to the August 5 motion include a declaration from a Turkish Airlines employee verifying the ticket. The ticket, purchased by someone else in Toshpulodzoda’s name, appeared to include a code for a window seat upgrade

Officials respond

What they’re saying:

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Toshpulodzoda entered the U.S. legally in 2009, but violated the terms of his admission

On June 24, an immigration judge ordered that he be removed from the U.S., and on July 6, Toshpulodzoda self-deported to his home country of Tajikistan, DHS officials said

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office filed the August 5 motion one month after Toshpulodzoda left the country. The motion asked a judge to issue a warrant enforceable beyond Virginia’s borders

The office confirmed that it opposed his release in June due to public safety concerns, noting that outside of court hearings, it plays no role in facility decisions

“Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was found by clinicians to be insane at the time he killed Mohammad Hemmatian – a legal finding that means the Commonwealth would be unable to secure a conviction at trial,” the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s office said in a statement.” Following that 2022 finding, prosecutors have opposed his release at annual review hearings, including in June of this year, where a judge ordered that he continue to be confined in a state behavioral health facility. A bench warrant was issued immediately following notice that he had escaped custody, so if he enters the U.S., he will be arrested and brought to Virginia.”

When asked about the incident, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) cited federal and state privacy laws that prevent them from discussing specific individuals

DBHDS stated that while courts decide whether an acquitted individual remains committed, Virginia law allows clinical teams to request graduated privileges as part of treatment. These requests are based on clinical and public-safety assessments and must be reviewed and approved by an expert panel

Sean Kennedy of Virginians for Safe Communities criticized the handling of the case and pointed out that authorities failed to notify the public, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the victim’s family in a timely manner

The victim’s family has declined to speak with the press

The orting. 

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