Mazen Al-Qaisi, a 24-year-old male, was found deceased on May 8, 2016, in his West Boise, Idaho, home in what police determined to be a murder-suicide. His death came as a shock to friends and family, who knew him as a vibrant and hardworking individual. Al-Qaisi, an Iraqi refugee who had settled in Boise about two years prior, was discovered with gunshot wounds alongside 32-year-old LouAnn Michelle Nettleton.
Concern for Al-Qaisi's welfare grew after he uncharacteristically missed his
shift at a local Cash & Carry store on April 30. A concerned friend, Adnan Abbod, went to check on him on May 8 after not hearing from him. Finding the home quiet with a past-due rent notice on the door, Abbod contacted the police. Officers responding to the welfare check discovered the bodies of Al-Qaisi and Nettleton inside the residence on West Glen Ellyn Street.
Investigators from the Boise Police Department and the Ada County Coroner's Office concluded that Nettleton shot and killed Al-Qaisi before taking her own life. An autopsy confirmed that both individuals died from gunshot wounds. Friends reported that Al-Qaisi had been contemplating ending his marriage to Nettleton. The couple had a wedding at a mosque in February of that year, but the marriage was reportedly not legally binding as Nettleton was still married to another man. It is believed the deaths occurred on or shortly after the evening of April 29, the last time Al-Qaisi was seen by his friend.
Police have stated that they do not believe anyone else was involved in the incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The investigation into the apparent murder-suicide remained open for a period following the discovery. Al-Qaisi was remembered by his friends and colleagues as a cheerful and dedicated person who was always smiling. Having fled the turmoil in his native Baghdad, he had been building a new life in Boise, where he learned English, found employment, and had been receiving positive feedback for his work. He had no family in the United States, and his relatives abroad were left devastated by the news.
