During one of the court hearings, Patricia Tissie Owens pointed at her ex-husband Yaser Said and called him a Devil. This story centers on how Yaser Said, 67 killed his two daughters in his car after he deceived them that they were going out on New Year’s Day in 2008. After Yaser Said killed his two daughters, he fled and became wanted by the police. His son and elder who also serving jail terms at the moment allowed him to hide in their residence during that period.
Why did Patricia Tissie Owens husband kill their daughters?
Yaser Said, a 65-year-old Egyptian cab driver, is currently on trial for the alleged murder of his two daughters, Sarah and Amina, aged 17 and 18, respectively. Said’s ex-wife, Patricia Owens, identified him in court on Thursday when prosecutors asked her to do so. Owens testified that she and her daughters had suffered years of abuse at Said’s hands and referred to him as a “devil.”
The family lived north of Dallas, where Said allegedly shot and killed his daughters in his taxi after telling them they were going out to eat on New Year’s Day in 2008. There is speculation that the murders may have been an honor killing, a practice where individuals are killed for bringing dishonor to their family. Said reportedly disapproved of his daughters dating non-Muslim boys and believed they were becoming “too American.”
Patricia Tissie Owens sexual abuse claim on Yaser Said
During the trial, Patricia Owens testified that she married Yaser Said in 1987 at the age of 15, while Said was 29. The couple had three children within the first three years of their marriage. In 1998, Owens filed a report with the Hill County Sheriff’s Office, accusing Said of sexually abusing their two daughters. Owens said she fled with all three children for months and eventually returned to the family’s home near Waco, where she instructed the girls to retract their allegations.
However, Owens and her daughters fled again in 2007, moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after the girls expressed fear for their safety if they continued living with their father. Owens also mentioned that Said allegedly monitored the girls’ phone records and would call to verify whether the numbers belonged to boys or girls. Despite fleeing from Said, Owens, and the girls returned to their Texas home because they feared repercussions if they did not. When prosecutors asked Owens if she knew what would happen upon their return, she responded, “Part of me did. Part of me didn’t.”
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Assault on Patricia Tissie Owens daughters
Many years after the 1998 allegations, friends of Sarah and Amina reported seeing bruises on the girls’ bodies or witnessing Yaser Said being physically violent to his family. The sisters confided in their friends that their father was extremely controlling and made them feel constantly surveilled. Said’s disturbing behavior was also caught on video, as he filmed his daughters in their bedroom and made suggestive comments, such as “Sarah sleeps with her pants? Mmm, very nice,” and “Wow, look at those eyes. I got my eye on you.” During the trial, the court was presented with evidence that included Patricia Owens’ testimony, the bullet-riddled clothes of the victims, and the 911 call made by Sarah immediately after the shooting.
How Yaser Said went into hiding after killing his daughters
On New Year’s Day in 2008, Sarah and Amina, aged 17 and 18 respectively, were shot multiple times by their father, Yaser Said, in his taxi in Irving, Texas. Sarah managed to call 911, but she lost consciousness before dispatchers could locate her. Investigators believe that Amina died instantly. Shortly after the 911 call, a man reported finding two women unconscious in a car in the parking lot of the Omni Mandalay Hotel, where the police found the sisters dead in Said’s taxi.
Patricia Tissie Owens former husband, Yaser Said became the prime suspect, and he disappeared after the killings. He spent six years on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list before being found in Justin, Texas, about 30 miles from the scene of the crime. His son, Islam, and his brother, Yassein, were arrested for harboring him and are serving sentences in federal prison. Said’s ex-wife, Patricia Owens, divorced him in 2009 and feared for her life. She believed that the killings were honor killings because Said thought the girls were becoming “too American” and shaming the family.
Is Yaser Said in Jail?
Yes, Patricia Tissie Owens former husband is in jail. Yaser Said, who was indicted on capital murder charges, did not face the death penalty as prosecutors did not seek it. He was held at Dallas County Jail – North Tower after his capture and went on trial on August 2, 2022. Said argued, through a translator, that he was not present during the murders and had taken his daughters for a ride in his taxi. He claimed that he left them alone due to a perceived threat that he thought was targeting him. However, the jury found him guilty of capital murder after hearing closing arguments and deliberating for three hours. Dallas County District Court Judge Chika Anyiam sentenced Said to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently incarcerated at Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s McConnell Unit in Bee County, Texas, as of January 2023.
