Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty for a Bangladeshi national accused of killing his sister-in-law and previously deported from the US. The defendant, Shahidul Islam, is being tried for first-degree murder in connection with the killing on May 2, 2025.
Lake County Prosecutor Bill Gladson said the victim, Monica Islam, was found hours after she disappeared on the side of a road with a gunshot wound to the head. Gladson stated that Monica Islam was last seen walking toward Shahidul Islam's vehicle and that the defendant had made numerous suspicious internet searches on the morning of the murder.
Evidence in the case includes blood stains found in the defendant's vehicle matching the victim's DNA, a bullet lodged in the passenger door, and a broken window. After the murder, Islam reportedly fled to New York in a rental car but was caught in a joint operation by local, state, and federal law enforcement.
Islam, who was convicted of illegal entry and extradited to Lake County, is currently being held without bail. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty in the case, citing the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim's family.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia emphasized that Islam, after being deported, re-entered the country illegally, committed this horrific crime, and then fled to a sanctuary city. Ingoglia said, "No family should have to endure the pain of such a senseless and horrific act of violence."
Ingoglia stated that Florida will maintain its firm stance against violent crime, sanctuary cities, and illegal immigration, adding, "We will never apologize for prioritizing the safety of law-abiding families." Prosecutor Gladson, for his part, said they would work to ensure justice and punish the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.
