Anwar Qasim Ali, a 62-year-old man of Pakistani ethnicity, was tragically killed on March 27, 2020, in Mansfield, TX. Ali was the owner of the Super Big Country Mart, a convenience store located in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County, south of Fort Worth. On that fateful morning, a masked and gloved Christopher Turner, a 48-year-old convicted felon, entered the store and held a gun to Ali's back.
Ali complied with Turner's demands, including opening the cash register to give him the money.
Despite Ali's compliance, Turner forced him into the bathroom and onto his knees before executing him. Turner then fled the scene in Ali's Toyota minivan, which contained over $50,000 in cash that he found in a black bag inside the vehicle. Turner went on an extravagant shopping spree over the next few days, purchasing cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He was later arrested in Colorado by U.S. Marshals, who found the murder weapon on his person.
The case went to trial, and a Tarrant County jury sentenced Turner to death for the premeditated, cold-blooded murder of Ali. Assistant District Attorney Allenna Bangs described Ali as a good person who came to the United States from Pakistan in pursuit of the American dream. She emphasized that Ali was killed for greed and a complete lack of respect for human life. Ali's son, Hussein, expressed gratitude for the justice served and hoped there would be no more individuals like Turner.
The investigation and subsequent trial highlighted Turner's attempts to evade responsibility, including obtaining the names and phone numbers of jurors and sharing them with an inmate charged with murder. Turner's conviction and death sentence brought a sense of closure and justice to Ali's family.
