Murder Suspect Escapes U.S. During Authorized Leave

An accused murderer fled the United States last month after receiving a 48-hour pass from a Virginia mental health facility. Prior to this, Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda had been allowed to make unsupervised visits, staying in a taxpayer-funded apartment while on leave.

Toshpulodzoda departed the U.S. on July 6 on a weekend pass. He boarded a one-way flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Tajikistan, with a layover in Istanbul. Court records state that he bought the Turkish Airlines ticket using an American Express card in his name.

Despite the murder accusation, Toshpulodzoda received permission to leave the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) for up to 48 hours. He stayed at an Alexandria apartment available through the Fairfax Permanent Supportive Housing Program, according to court documents.

The Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Falls Church, Virginia, had provided inpatient care for Toshpulodzoda before he left on an authorized 48-hour pass. (Google Maps)

In 2019, Toshpulodzoda fatally stabbed Mohammad Hemmatian in his Vienna, Virginia home. Responding police officers found him at the scene covered in blood. In 2022, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity for second-degree murder and was committed to a state psychiatric facility.

To establish legal insanity, a defense expert and an independent prosecution expert both evaluated Toshpulodzoda, Laura Birnbaum, chief of staff for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, explained to Fox News Digital. If the prosecution’s expert also concludes the defendant is legally insane, achieving a conviction at trial becomes nearly impossible, added Birnbaum.

In June, a judge ruled that Toshpulodzoda “shall not be released from custody and inpatient hospitalization without further order of this court.” However, Virginia state law enables psychiatric facility patients — including those accused of violent crimes — to receive temporary day or weekend passes.

The NVMHI’s Internal Forensic Privileging Committee approved Toshpulodzoda for unaccompanied community visits, allowing him to exit without hospital staff escort for up to 48 hours. With this authorization, he legally conducted unsupervised visits leading up to his escape.

In May 2024, Toshpulodzoda received permission, with an escort, to visit the Tajikistan Embassy in Washington, D.C., to obtain a passport.

Fox News Digital contacted the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

On Aug. 5, a month after Toshpulodzoda escaped, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office requested a judge to issue an arrest warrant.

“Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was found by clinicians to be insane at the time he killed Mohammad Hemmatian,” a statement from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office confirmed, noting the legal determination would prevent the Commonwealth from securing a conviction at trial.

Prosecutor Steve Descano, representing Fairfax County, Virginia, opposed Toshpulodzoda’s release at annual review hearings in June. Following his escape, a bench warrant was immediately issued. Should Toshpulodzoda attempt to reenter the U.S., authorities plan for his arrest and extradition to Virginia.