Adel Malek, a 59-year-old Egyptian immigrant, was fatally shot on July 22, 1998, in his small grocery store, Apotheca, located in the 1300 block of West Union Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Malek, who had been in business for only six months, was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital shortly after being found lying on the floor inside his store.
The incident was the result of an apparent robbery.
In 2015, the Allentown Police Department created a cold case team to help crack unsolved murder and missing persons cases. That same year, a witness came forward in the killing of Adel Malek. John Edinger, a 44-year-old man from Emmaus, Pennsylvania, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in June 2016. Edinger admitted to shooting Malek during a confrontation in the store while he was "dope sick" and looking for drug money. As part of a plea deal, Edinger was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison.
The case brought some closure to Malek's family, who described him as a devoted family man and entrepreneur who had come to the United States from Egypt in 1993 to make a better life for himself and his family. His daughter, Tout Malek, addressed Edinger in court, expressing the pain and loss the family felt due to his actions. Edinger expressed deep remorse for the crime and hoped the Malek family could see his regret.
The investigation and subsequent arrest of Edinger highlighted the importance of cold case teams in solving long-unsolved crimes and providing justice for victims and their families.
