Afghan refugee accused in a case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community reaches plea agreement

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An Afghan refugee who was convicted earlier this year of first-degree murder in one of three fatal shootings that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim community has reached a plea agreement that could resolve criminal charges stemming from the other two killings.

Muhammad Syed’s attorneys confirmed Thursday that the agreement will be considered by a state district judge during a hearing Tuesday. Details of the agreement have not been made public.

Syed already faces life in prison for killing 41-year-old Aftab Hussein in July 2022. He was set to stand trial in the second case beginning Tuesday, but those proceedings were canceled amid the discussion about changing his plea.

The three ambush-style killings happened over the course of several days, leaving authorities scrambling to determine if race or religion might have been behind the crimes. It was not long before the investigation shifted away from possible hate crimes to what prosecutors described to jurors during the first trial as the “willful and very deliberate” actions of another member of the Muslim community.

Prosecutors described Syed as having a violent history. His public defenders had argued that previous allegations of domestic violence never resulted in convictions.

The first trial uncovered little about motive, leaving victims' families hoping that the subsequent trials might shed more light on why the men were targeted.

The other victims included Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, a 27-year-old urban planner who was gunned down Aug. 1, 2022, while taking his evening walk, and Naeem Hussain, who was shot four days later as he sat in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency on the city’s south side.

With the conviction in the case of Aftab Hussein, Syed must serve at least 30 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.