Amina Yaser Said, an 18-year-old female of Egyptian-American ethnicity, tragically lost her life on January 1, 2008, in Irving, Texas. She and her 17-year-old sister, Sarah Said, were found shot multiple times inside their father's taxi cab, which was abandoned at the entrance of the Omni Mandalay Hotel . The medical examiner determined that both girls died from multiple bullet wounds.
The investigation into their deaths initially considered the possibility of outside interference, but
evidence soon pointed to a more sinister truth. Interviews with family members revealed that Amina and Sarah had been physically and mentally abused by their father, Yaser Abdel Said. Reports indicated that Yaser was very controlling and did not approve of his daughters' westernized behavior, including dating non-Muslims and refusing arranged marriages.
On August 26, 2020, Yaser Abdel Said was captured in Justin, Texas, after being on the FBI's Most-Wanted list for 12 years. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassein Said, were arrested for aiding a fugitive. Yaser was taken into federal custody and later transferred to Dallas County for trial. On August 9, 2022, a Dallas County jury found Yaser guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The tragic deaths of Amina and Sarah Said have been described as "honor killings," and their case has drawn significant attention to issues of domestic abuse and cultural clashes within families. The community continues to remember the vibrant and ambitious young women whose lives were cut short so brutally.
