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Virginia Mental Health Patient Acquitted of Murder Flees to Tajikistan During 48-Hour Pass
Just the facts
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was committed to state custody in 2022 after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 killing of his landlord, Mohammad Hemmatian. On June 29, 2026, a court reaffirmed that Toshpulodzoda remained mentally ill and required continued inpatient hospitalization. Despite the judicial finding, the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Falls Church granted him an unaccompanied 48-hour community pass on July 6, 2026. Toshpulodzoda traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul before traveling to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, prompting authorities to issue a bench warrant.
Why this is news
Court documents revealed that 2019 murder acquittee Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda fled the United States on a one-way flight to Tajikistan while on an authorized 48-hour pass from a Virginia state mental health facility. Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute authorized the release on July 6, 2026, but Toshpulodzoda failed to return on July 8, 2026.
Developments timeline
- Court records revealed that suspect Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was granted unsupervised stays at a taxpayer-funded Alexandria apartment during weekend passes, and prosecutors formally obtained a judicial bench warrant for his arrest and extradition.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.