FORT WAYNE, IN – An Indiana teenager will spend three decades behind bars for fatally stabbing his father 45 times inside a convenience store before heading to class later the same day as if nothing had happened.
Eighteen-year-old Ahmed Al-Malahi was sentenced to 30 years for the February 2023 killing of his father, Tawfika Al-Malahi. With credit for time already served, about 14 months will be deducted from this sentence.
Last month, Ahmed pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, acknowledging the intentional act occurred in a moment of heated passion. A plea agreement led prosecutors to drop a more severe murder charge.
The sequence of events unfolded when Ahmed, then 16, lay in wait under a table at the One Stop Store on Creighton Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. On February 7, 2023, when his 52-year-old father entered the store, Ahmed attacked from behind, inflicting multiple stab wounds and striking him with a metal object.
Despite his father collapsing, Ahmed continued the attack, additionally slitting his throat and causing a skull fracture, the affidavit stated. These brutal actions appeared to have been carried out postmortem.
After the attack, Ahmed attempted to stage the scene to resemble a robbery. He cleaned up with bleach, swiped the store’s surveillance DVR, and stole cash from the register. Then, discarding evidence, including weapons and the bleach bottle, in a dumpster, he changed clothes and biked to Northrop High School, arriving at mid-day.
Later that same day, after discovering the elder Al-Malahi’s body, authorities promptly began their investigation, though they never publicly disclosed a motive for the murder.
Ahmed was apprehended soon after the attack and has remained in custody since then. The case serves as a stark reminder of the unexpected and harrowing crimes that can occur in communities.