Illegal Bangladeshi migrant Shahidul Islam was deported from the US but he re-entered and allegedly killed a Florida woman, his sister-in-law, over a property dispute in Bangladesh, and then fled to a sanctuary city. Monica Islam was murdered on May 2, 2025.
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Prosecutors have now sought the death penalty for Shahidul Islam as the 44-year-old man was indicted this week on a premeditated first-degree murder charge for the shooting death of Monica.
"No family should ever have to endure the pain of such a senseless and horrific act of violence as this one," Florida chief financial officer Blaise Ingoglia wrote in a statement. "Shahidul Islam illegally entered our country after being deported, committed this heinous crime, and then fled to a sanctuary city."
Monica Islam was reported missing on May 2. Hours after her reported disappearance, she was found with a gunshot wound to the head, lying on the side of the road. She was last seen walking towards Shahidul Islam's car from the convenience store where she used to work.
After killing Monica, Shahidul rented a car and drove to New York City. He was later tracked down and taken into custody on a federal immigration warrant as he was an illegal who had been deported.
A search warrant uncovered bloodstains matching Monica Islam's DNA in Shahidul Islam's car, along with a bullet lodged in the passenger door and a shattered passenger window. Investigators found out that on the day of the murder, Shahidul searched for information about murders and arrests in Mount Dara and Eustis.
Shahidul Islam was handed over to Lake County authorities on a first-degree murder charge on May 31 this year.
Monica used to live in the neighborhood with her daughter. Her husband Rashedul Islam and his brother Shahidul had been previously accused of domestic violence against her in 2024. Rashedul left for Bangladesh soon after the doemstice violence case and Shahidul was deported but he re-entered with a murder plan.
