Criminal law, Religion, Society

Three Muslims Murdered In North Carolina Over Alleged Parking Space Dispute [UPDATED]

150211-craig-stephen-hicks-mug-445a_707658ca1802ba12cbd652277ac91d90.nbcnews-ux-600-440ShowImage.ashxThere is a horrible triple murder being investigated this morning in North Carolina where three people from a Muslim family were allegedly murdered by Craig Stephen Hicks, 46. Some are speculating that Hicks’ strong atheist views may have been a factor after reading this “anti-theist” positions on the Internet. He has been described in some media account as a “radical atheist” though atheists have rarely engaged in violent acts against religious persons. UPDATE: Police have said that the dispute was not religiously motivated but a dispute over a parking space.


chapel-hill-victims-4258FC82F00000578-2948803-image-a-3_1423647578198All three victims are from the same family and identified as Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. From all accounts, the family was the epitome of a hard-working and successful American family. Barakat was a dental student at the University of North Carolina was a volunteer giving free dental care to Palestinian children. He also helped provide free dental supplies to 75 homeless people in downtown Durham. The recently married couple also organized a fundraiser to raise money for dental care for refugees from Syria. Barakat was going to travel to Turkey to help treat child refugees. His sister-in-law Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha had been studying for a degree at North Carolina State University in Architecture and Environmental Design.

All three were shot in the head.

Hicks posted anti-religious positions on the Internet and asked “why radical Christians and radical Muslims are so opposed to each others’ influence when they agree about so many ideological issues”? His page suggests that he is paralegal at Durham Technical Community College. He reported turned himself in.

hicks-chapel-hill-gunNews organizations have been focusing on Hicks’ anti-religious statements on the Internet as well as his photograph of a gun. However, anti-religious sentiments do not naturally lead to gunning down family’s of religious people (any more than stated religious beliefs or anti-atheist views naturally leads to killing atheists or agnostics). That does not mean that this was not a motivation in this case but we have little information at this point. Update: The police said that they have evidence of a long-standing parking space dispute.

hicks-chapel-hill-buggyhicks-chapel-hill-disneyNothing is known of any prior interaction or mental disorders on the part of Hicks. Hicks also posted less threatening images, including photos with his wife.

Atheist leaders immediately condemned the murders. The numerous articles focusing on Hicks’ reported atheist views show no specific connection to this family or advocacy of anti-religious violence. However, it creates the possibility of a crime motivated by religious hostilities and is presumably being investigated as a possible hate crime. In the end, the classification of the murders as a hate crime are unlikely to materially affect the prosecution in the case if Hicks confessed to the murders. The question remains an insanity defense. As previously discussed, the insanity defense has been substantially curtailed in this country. I believe that North Carolina uses the M’Naghten Rule with the burden of proof on the defendant. The test is generally defined as meaning “the defendant was laboring under such a defect of reason from disease or deficiency of mind at the time of the alleged act as to be (1) incapable of knowing the nature and quality of his act, or (2) incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong with respect to such act.” State v. Mancuso, 364 S.E.2d 359 (1988) (relying on State v. Evangelista, 319 N.C. 152, 353 S.E.2d 375 (1987)).

Once invoked, the state can press for an examination, though it is often ordered by the Court sua sponte.

(a) If a defendant intends to raise the defense of insanity, the defendant must file a notice of the defendant’s intention to rely on the defense of insanity as provided in G.S. 15A-905(c) and, if the case is not subject to that section, within a reasonable time prior to trial. The court may for cause shown allow late filing of the notice or grant additional time to the parties to prepare for trial or make other appropriate orders.

(b) In cases not subject to the requirements of G.S. 15A-905(c), if a defendant intends to introduce expert testimony relating to a mental disease, defect, or other condition bearing upon the issue of whether the defendant had the mental state required for the offense charged, the defendant must within a reasonable time prior to trial file a notice of that intention. The court may for cause shown allow late filing of the notice or grant additional time to the parties to prepare for trial or make other appropriate orders.

(c) Upon motion of the defendant and with the consent of the State the court may conduct a hearing prior to the trial with regard to the defense of insanity at the time of the offense. If the court determines that the defendant has a valid defense of insanity with regard to any criminal charge, it may dismiss that charge, with prejudice, upon making a finding to that effect. The court’s denial of relief under this subsection is without prejudice to the defendant’s right to rely on the defense at trial. If the motion is denied, no reference to the hearing may be made at the trial, and recorded testimony or evidence taken at the hearing is not admissible as evidence at the trial. (1973, c. 1286, s. 1; 1977, c. 711, s. 25; 2004-154, s. 10.)

SOURCE: NBC

280 thoughts on “Three Muslims Murdered In North Carolina Over Alleged Parking Space Dispute [UPDATED]”

  1. I never lost belief in a God, no matter how angry I was about life’s injustices. I lost the certainty of the existence of a God. To be convinced of the absence or presence of an unseen seems fantastical to me. But to say that all atheists hate believers is absurd. For believers to overreact to skepticism about the existence of God is what should give everyone pause.

    1. Well, thats good Inga because sometimes it sounds you are when you are angry which is what I was trying to say over and over to Mespo. You note above I said some and not all so please dont think I was talking about you in particular because if I was I would say your name. You know how I am. I would. but I am proud of you that you didn’t lose faith and you said so because that is hard for a skeptic to say and like I said to Mespo what are we going to do about these people that are using Religion improperly to not worship the Unseen but to aggrandize the Ego of man. That is what they do and it is sickening. Some don’t even know what they are doing. I really hate Hagee, I have a special Hate going on for him.

  2. From Digby’s posting (refer to link in last comment):

    “We live in a shooting gallery in this country. The bullet of a random armed a..hole angry about a fender bender is far more likely to kill us than a terrorist:…” (s replaced by .)

  5. Atheist HATE anyone who has a belief in a higher Deity. Atheist put themselves far above Deity loving/serving people. They think of themselves as highly intellectual and above all God believers, whom they consider lowly in intellect and reasoning. However, as just proven, they too can be motivated to kill in the name of their NON-belief.

    1. wrong… That is a projection. You hate atheists.

      I hate evil acts done in the name of religion. I hate evil acts done in the name of dogma, including dogmatic atheists.

      Had Mr. Hicks been a faithful Christian would you blame him and not his religious position?

      I love my Roman Catholic sister and Orthodox Jewish sister (both converts to their husband’s).

      Don’t project your hate on atheists.

    2. Gigi De La Paz

      Atheist HATE anyone who has a belief in a higher Deity. Atheist put themselves far above Deity loving/serving people. They think of themselves as highly intellectual and above all God believers, whom they consider lowly in intellect and reasoning. However, as just proven, they too can be motivated to kill in the name of their NON-belief.

      George
      wrong… That is a projection. You hate atheists.
      I hate evil acts done in the name of religion. I hate evil acts done in the name of dogma, including dogmatic atheists.
      Had Mr. Hicks been a faithful Christian would you blame him and not his religious position?
      I love my Roman Catholic sister and Orthodox Jewish sister (both converts to their husband’s).
      Don’t project your hate on atheists.

      This is interesting. I used to be an atheist because I renounced my belief in God when my Mother Died. I hated God. I HATED GOD>but I can understand how to a believer how it would seem like I hated them because they believed and I would so want them to join me in my HATE

      George
      Projection is very simple psychology something little children do. I suspect she is just rationalizing the way she was taught to do. Gigi is a teacher I think If I remember.

      She is probably outraged by atheists. She probably doesn’t even know why but just is. The idea is outrageous to her. Ask her. I think what it is that many Liberals rub in the fact that the idea of a higher being is absurd and that makes them angry because they FEEL these things are not to be questioned. You see, it’s complicated. She just said that last part I am sure because she was mad and to pique you.

  6. happypappies,
    I don’t know if CNN ever asked the wife if she drives? Where she parks the car and if her husband ever reacted aggressively while flashing on of the 12 guns kept in the apartment AT her?

  7. Thanks. I think it’s healthy to be able to have a sense of humor about one’s belief system and not to take it too seriously. I mean, there are lessons to be learned and respect toward God is essential (regardless of how you believe). Humor helps to see through a lot of the confusion.
    WWJD is an appropriate saying to hold up when making these jokes.

    Jesus actually meant, no throwing rocks.
    He never said not to GET stoned.

  8. happypappies,
    I’m sure you misunderstood Jesus. He WAS speaking to the men clutching stones. They dropped them because Jesus wrote in the sand, “I thought we let women throw first”…

    1. Max-1

      I am going to Forward parts of this thread to Pastor Karen who will appreciate your Humor — Max-1 😉

  9. Triple murder of hate crime white bread fat woman (oh I am not supposed to be politically incorrect that way) is not a hate crime*****So, what is it???Just one of those inborn Linguistic things that we just can’t help. I know, we were all born to hate. That is what Jesus said. Jesus said “those who can’t throw that first stone are not real men.”

    1. happypappies – I thought Jesus said “People in stone houses shouldn’t throw glass and people in glass houses shouldn’t …”

      1. Paul C. Schulte

        I like to throw paper airplanes myself. I don’t get these people and their gun obsession and I never have but I do know we pay a terrible price for Life Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness and people have strange ideas of what that is.

  10. The media question the media needed to pose to the wife of the assailant:
    Did you ever feel threatened by your husband?

  11. happypappies,
    Reza hit it out of the park on that one, did he not?
    Depending on the narrative, the act of killing is either a crime egregious enough to condemn an entire population or rewarded with book and movie deals…

    Can this thread handle the idea that the shooter is an amosexual, too?
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/13/chapel-hill-killings-suspect-guns_n_6681152.html

    The warrants show four handguns recovered from the Hicks home, in addition to a pistol the suspect had with him when arrested. The warrants also list two shotguns and six rifles, including a military-style AR-15 carbine. Police also recovered numerous loaded magazines and cases of ammunition.

    Eight spent shell-casings were found in the neighboring apartment of the young couple killed.

    So he missed five times…?

    1. Max-1

      More like did he ever feel threatened by her “fat and psychopathic wives” who verbally (and perhaps physically) “thrash them within inches of their lives.”

      No —- wait —— 5 shell casings?? What a party they must have been having.

    1. Max-1 followed and retweeted and favorited and my facebook people will love it.

  16. http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/02/12/4550644_hundreds-gather-at-funeral-for.html?rh=1

    “FBI launches new investigation into Chapel Hill killings; thousands mourn in Raleigh”

    “In a brief news release late in the day, the FBI said it had launched “a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not any federal laws were violated related to the case.” The FBI had previously been called in to assist the Chapel Hill police in processing evidence from the crime scene; the new inquiry could broaden the case’s jurisdiction and potentially bolster the charges against the suspect.”

  17. “Mr. Hicks…appears to have functioned as a self-appointed watchman in the complex.” (from the linked article, below)

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/us/chapel-hill-neighbors-say-they-felt-threatened-by-man-held-in-killings.html

    “The police say they never received any formal complaints, but Mr. Hicks, a 46-year-old former auto parts dealer who has been studying to become a paralegal, appears to have functioned as a self-appointed watchman in the complex. The Chapel Hill police released a report about a 2013 incident in which he apparently called them to complain that someone had allegedly grabbed a tow-truck driver’s arm while he was trying to tow a car. And just last month, he wrote on Facebook that he had called the police because he saw a couple having sex in a car in the parking lot.”

Comments are closed.