Slain Lewisville girls' brother calls on taxi driver father to surrender
Son disputes that Islam played role in teens' deaths; father still at large09:15 PM CST on Thursday, January 3, 2008
The brother of two teenage girls who police believe were fatally shot by their father this week pleaded Thursday night for his father to surrender to authorities.
"I never thought this would happen," said Islam Said, 19. "Tell him to turn himself in."
Yaser Abdel Said, a 50-year-old cabdriver, is being sought in the deaths of Amina Yaser Said, 18, and Sarah Yaser Said, 17. The Lewisville High School students were found shot to death in a taxi at an Irving hotel Tuesday night.
Islam Said and his mother appeared at a candlelight vigil in honor of the girls outside the high school Thursday night. Dozens of students and teachers gathered around pink posters signed with messages for the girls, described as well-liked students who played tennis and soccer and excelled in Advanced Placement courses.
Mr. Said also disputed widespread rumors and media reports that his father's religion may have been part of the motive. There has been speculation that the slayings were an honor killing, a practice in some Muslim cultures where a man kills a female family member who is believed to have shamed the family.
"It's not religion," he said. "It's something else. Religion has nothing to do with it."
Mr. Said declined to speak in detail about a possible motive.
Irving police spokesman David Tull said authorities are exploring all possible motives in the slayings, including that they may have been an honor killing. He acknowledged there had been some domestic issues in the family.
"We're well aware of the family dynamics," he said. "Everyone wants to know the motive. The only person that can really tell us is him."
Officer Tull said there had been no progress Thursday in locating Mr. Said but noted that federal authorities are participating in the manhunt.
"We've got a large net cast," he said.
Officer Tull said there's a possibility that the Egyptian-born man may have left the country.
"He's not a stranger to travel," he said.
Zohair Zaidi, a close friend of Sarah's, said Sarah told him their father had threatened harm to Amina recently when he discovered she had a boyfriend.
"Her dad has always been oppressive with her and her sister," said Mr. Zaidi, 18.
"She said that one day when she came home – the day he found out about Amina's boyfriend – he told Sarah, 'I'm going to put a bullet through Amina's head, and you better get used to her because she's not going to be around much longer.' "
One of the sisters called 911 from a cellphone around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. She said she was dying, according to an Irving police report. Police traced the call to O'Connor Road and Riverside Drive, where police initially did not find the caller.
An hour later, police received another call about two unconscious females inside a taxi at a service entrance of the Omni Mandalay Hotel. Police located the vehicle and found the sisters.
"The victims' mother provided information that pointed to the victims' father as the suspect," the Irving police report said.
Cab driver sought in death of two daughters in Irving 
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/010208dnmetteens.759484.html
06:12 PM CST on Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___