In the spring of 2013, a grim discovery was made by a highway mowing crew in Kentucky. The body of a young woman was found on May 29th along the northbound lanes of Interstate 65, about 115 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee. For weeks, her identity remained a mystery to investigators. It wasn't until late June that she was identified as 27-year-old Madiha Roshdy, a resident of Nashville.
The cause of her death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
The investigation into Madiha's death soon focused on her husband, 39-year-old Alaa Youssef. Concerns about Madiha's welfare were first raised by a friend who had learned that her family in Egypt was worried about her. She was officially reported missing on June 20th. When police searched the couple's Nashville apartment and Youssef's car, they found evidence suggesting that Madiha had likely been killed in their home a few days before her body was discovered.
As the investigation progressed, authorities came to believe that Alaa Youssef was responsible for his wife's death. However, by the time they were ready to make an arrest, he had already fled the country. It was discovered that Youssef had taken the couple's two young daughters and traveled to his native Egypt. Despite his absence, authorities in Nashville charged him with criminal homicide in connection with Madiha Roshdy's murder.
