Texan Accused of ‘Honor Killing’ His Daughters Faces Trial After 15 Years

Jury selection began Monday, August 1st for the trial of a man who allegedly murdered his 17 and 18-year-old daughters.

Amina and Sarah Said were found shot to death in the back of an abandoned taxi cab in Irving, Texas in 2008. Yasar Abdel Said, a former taxi driver, had been a fugitive from the law for 12 years. It's suspected that he murdered his daughters in a so-called "honor" killing.

In some cultures, an honor killing is the killing of a relative, usually female, who's perceived to have brought dishonor to their family. However, according to Fox 4 News, this motive has not yet been confirmed by the FBI. It's been alleged that Said had a history of physically and sexually abusing his daughters and that they feared him, according to Dallas Morning News. 

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Said was on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List in connection with the slayings of the two young women. The first major break in capturing him happened after a maintenance man spotted him at an apartment complex in Bedford, Texas. After refusing to open the door for police, he apparently jumped from his patio onto some bushes, which broke his glasses.

After obtaining a warrant, the police were able to enter the apartment to discover Said was long gone. However, they obtained crucial DNA evidence from his toothbrush and a discarded cigarette. Three years later, police were able to apprehend Said from a home in Justin, Texas, where he was aided by his son and brother, who have since been convicted for helping him.

Said's alleged murder of his daughters was the subject of a 2014 documentary The Price of Honor, which uses interviews and archival footage to tell the story of the slain girls.