An accused murderer who fled the United States last month after being granted a 48-hour pass from a Virginia mental health facility was previously allowed to leave the institution on unsupervised visits, staying at a taxpayer-funded apartment while on leave.Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda left the U.S.on July 6 while on a weekend pass, boarding a one-way flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to his native Tajikistan via Istanbul.
The Turkish Airlines ticket was purchased under Toshpulodzoda's name using an American Express card, according to court records.Despite the murder accusation, Toshpulodzoda was permitted to leave the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) for up to 48 hours to stay at an Alexandria apartment made available through the Fairfax Permanent Supportive Housing Program, court records state.HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTED AFTER EARLY RELEASE LAW FREED INMATES LATER CHARGED WITH MURDERThe Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Falls Church, Virginia, where Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda had been receiving inpatient treatment before leaving on an authorized 48-hour pass.(Google Maps)In 2019, Toshpulodzoda fatally stabbed Mohammad Hemmatian, inside his Vienna, Virginia home before responding police found him covered in blood.He was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity of second-degree murder and committed to a state psychiatric facility in 2022.
To be found legally insane, a defense expert, and then a separate, independent expert for the prosecution evaluate the defendant, Laura Birnbaum, chief of staff for Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, told Fox News Digital. If the prosecution's expert also finds the defendant to be legally insane, there is functionally no way to get a conviction at trial, Birnbaum added. As recently as June, a judge determined that Toshpulodzoda "shall not be released from custody and inpatient hospitalization without further order of this court."However, Virginia state law permits certa...