Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Lynnwood: Man charged in brother's 'honor killing'
LYNNWOOD — Mehdi Matin told homicide detectives he called off his marriage to an Afghan woman 23 years ago over an offensive remark his brother made about his bride-to-be.
Matin, 61, said he felt tortured by his decision for years. So when his brother Isa Mehri, 60, repeated the remark last month, he fetched a pipe and clobbered his brother in the head with it, court papers said.
Matin is accused of beating Mehri with the metal pipe, strangling him with a rope and leaving the body outside for two days before calling authorities.
The California man was charged earlier this week with second- degree murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the Oct. 26 homicide. Matin pleaded not guilty to the charge Friday. He is being held on a $1 million bail.
Matin, an Afghan immigrant, allegedly told investigators the slaying was an “honor killing,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Travis Johnson wrote.
Court documents don’t say what Mehri allegedly said about the woman that made Matin not marry her.
None of the brothers’ relatives could recall Matin planning to marry a woman from Afghanistan nor calling off a wedding over any remarks Mehri made, Johnson wrote.
Matin told detectives he came to visit Mehri at his Lynnwood home about a week before the killing to talk about buying a gas station together, Johnson wrote. Matin said during a conversation Mehri mentioned the woman and again made a disparaging remark.
Matin said he became angry, went outside and retrieved a pipe. When he went back inside, he told Mehri to repeat the comment. When he did, Matin hit him over the head with it, court papers said. Matin allegedly told detectives he hit his brother again after Mehri said he was going to get a gun.
Detectives said that Matin told them that he went “insane” and beat Mehri unconscious with the pipe. He told them he then strangled his brother to put Mehri out of his misery, Johnson wrote.
He covered his brother with a tarp and stayed at a motel that night. He returned the next day and washed Mehri’s body and attempted to clean up the blood in his house, court papers said.
Matin told detectives he then considered killing himself, but decided against it.
He called 911 to report what happened, Johnson wrote.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
Matin, 61, said he felt tortured by his decision for years. So when his brother Isa Mehri, 60, repeated the remark last month, he fetched a pipe and clobbered his brother in the head with it, court papers said.
Matin is accused of beating Mehri with the metal pipe, strangling him with a rope and leaving the body outside for two days before calling authorities.
The California man was charged earlier this week with second- degree murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the Oct. 26 homicide. Matin pleaded not guilty to the charge Friday. He is being held on a $1 million bail.
Matin, an Afghan immigrant, allegedly told investigators the slaying was an “honor killing,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Travis Johnson wrote.
Court documents don’t say what Mehri allegedly said about the woman that made Matin not marry her.
None of the brothers’ relatives could recall Matin planning to marry a woman from Afghanistan nor calling off a wedding over any remarks Mehri made, Johnson wrote.
Matin told detectives he came to visit Mehri at his Lynnwood home about a week before the killing to talk about buying a gas station together, Johnson wrote. Matin said during a conversation Mehri mentioned the woman and again made a disparaging remark.
Matin said he became angry, went outside and retrieved a pipe. When he went back inside, he told Mehri to repeat the comment. When he did, Matin hit him over the head with it, court papers said. Matin allegedly told detectives he hit his brother again after Mehri said he was going to get a gun.
Detectives said that Matin told them that he went “insane” and beat Mehri unconscious with the pipe. He told them he then strangled his brother to put Mehri out of his misery, Johnson wrote.
He covered his brother with a tarp and stayed at a motel that night. He returned the next day and washed Mehri’s body and attempted to clean up the blood in his house, court papers said.
Matin told detectives he then considered killing himself, but decided against it.
He called 911 to report what happened, Johnson wrote.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
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