Loading summary
Transcript285 lines
- [00:00]
A
If you're an experienced pet owner, you already know that having a pet is 25% belly rubs, 25% yelling drop it. And 50% groaning at the bill from every pet visit.
- [00:09]
B
Which is why Lemonade Pet Insurance is.
- [00:11]
A
Tailor made for your pet and can.
- [00:12]
B
Save you up to 90% on vet bills. It can help cover checkups, emergencies, diagnostics.
- [00:17]
A
Basically all the stuff that makes your bank account get nervous. Claims are filed super easily through the Lemonade app and half get settled instantly.
- [00:24]
B
Get a'@lemonade.com pet and they'll help cover.
- [00:27]
A
The vet bill for whatever your pet swallowed after you yelled drop it. You walk in tired and hungry, one bad dinner away from losing it. You don't like to cook. You don't want more takeout. You just want something good. That's why there's Dish by Blue Apron pre made meals with at least 20 grams of protein and no artificial flavors or colors. From fridge to fork in five minutes or less. Keep the flavor. Ditch the subscription. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more. It was a bright sunny day. It didn't seem like anything could possibly go wrong. And the day was shattered. I heard just the sound of an engine speeding up.
- [01:25]
B
Just.
- [01:27]
A
I heard a thud. There was a teenage girl and she was face down in the dirt. Her shoes had been knocked off. And then I saw his car zoom by and he just pulled out of that parking lot. Fire department, what's the address?
- [01:46]
C
I'm standing at 8990 West Peoria Avenue.
- [01:50]
B
In the parking lot.
- [01:52]
A
My heart was beating a million miles a minute. I just, I remember lots of yelling and screaming.
- [02:00]
B
Somebody got rang over here.
- [02:02]
A
I hit the ground on my hands and knees. She was completely unresponsive. Brushed her hair behind her ear and held her hands. She was just a normal teenage girl, just beautiful. So I'm trying to talk to her like, you're gonna be okay, honey. It's gonna be okay. And I was so afraid that it wasn't going to be Is the still there that hit her?
- [02:28]
B
No, it took off and there's another person that just collapsed.
- [02:32]
A
The other lady that was hit, she was crying and screaming.
- [02:38]
B
Within about 20 to 30 minutes we had a pretty good idea that this was not just a hit and run. The younger of the two women was identified as Noor Al Maleki. The other woman was identified as Amal Khalaf. Amal was able to provide a name of the individual that was actually driving the Vehicle. She recognized him. She says it's Noor Al Malecki's father. We learned there had been a long standing conflict between Noor and Falah and that Falah was not happy with the way Noor was living her life. And I think she knew that at some point a showdown was going to happen. When he saw Amala Noor, you know, walking across the parking lot, opportunity knocked. He opened that door and ran a 4,000 pound vehicle right through it. This wasn't a whodunit. It never was. The mystery is why. Why this had happened and what would possess a father to do something like this to his daughter.
- [03:38]
C
A family's honor. Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery.
- [03:59]
A
When I found out Nora in an accident, I was so shocked. I didn't want to believe it. Is this true? Is my friend really hurt? Why would something like this happen to Noor?
- [04:11]
C
The horrifying news that Noor Amaliki had been run over by her own father spread quickly among her friends.
- [04:19]
B
I didn't believe it at first and when I found out exactly what had happened and it was just really hard, you know, like really heartbreaking.
- [04:26]
C
The 20 year old college student was in a coma, fighting for her life.
- [04:31]
B
You know, Noor's condition was very critical. She suffered multiple vertebrae fractures, an ankle fracture, severe closed head injury, and multiple soft tissue injuries from head to toe.
- [04:45]
C
Basically, Nora's friend Amal Khalaf had been thrown 27ft, fracturing her pelvis and femur, but miraculously survived.
- [04:54]
B
This is a serious crime. Two people were severely injured and it was an intentional act. That's a big deal.
- [05:00]
C
But the man of running them over, Nor's father, had vanished. So on October 20, 2009, Peoria, Arizona police detective Chris Bowie launched a manhunt.
- [05:12]
B
When you're moving on a case, you don't have a whole lot of time to reflect. We've got a bad guy that's on the loose. We need to catch him.
- [05:18]
C
He also tried to figure out the motive.
- [05:21]
B
We know that something happened. Was it anger? Was it frustration? Was it greed? Why would a father do this to a daughter?
- [05:28]
C
Those questions also intrigued journalist and CBS News consultant Abigail Pesta. What kind of girl was she?
- [05:35]
A
Knorr was an all American teenage girl. She called her friends dude at school she played tennis. On the tennis team, she worked on.
- [05:44]
C
The yearbook Pesto wrote about Knorr for Marie Claire magazine.
- [05:49]
A
Her friends told me her hair was always perfect. She could always be counted on to have a bottle of hair hairspray handy.
- [05:57]
C
Like most teens, Nor Loved shopping and hanging out with her friends, female and male. She was also passionate about school and dreamed of being a teacher.
- [06:08]
B
She was somebody that wanted to get an education. She was somebody that wanted to be somebody to do something with her life.
- [06:17]
C
Noor was just four when her family fled Iraq and Saddam Hussein. They eventually settled in the Phoenix suburbs, home to a large Arab community.
- [06:26]
A
She had a foot in two worlds. She had one foot in suburban America and one foot in Middle Eastern tradition.
- [06:33]
C
That's Noren White modeling at a local Middle Eastern event. Did she struggle with trying to straddle both of those cultures?
- [06:44]
A
Absolutely. In public, she just tried to put on a brave face. She just tried to live her life and enjoy the freedoms that America offered her. In private, she fought with her father all the time.
- [06:55]
C
At home, Nora was supposed to obey her parents. It was her job to cook, clean, and help take care of her six younger siblings.
- [07:04]
A
And if she didn't, she would be beaten.
- [07:07]
C
North told her friend Adi that her father disapproved of everything she did, from the way she dressed to her choice of friends.
- [07:15]
B
You can't tell your child today in America. Oh, you can't hang out with boys. No. You can't go outside looking like that.
- [07:22]
A
In her home.
- [07:22]
B
It was just like tons and tons of rules.
- [07:25]
C
Noor's father became enraged when he saw a photo of her with some male friends on the Internet.
- [07:31]
B
And he just thought that was a really bad thing for his daughter to do, for a Muslim daughter to do. And he just thought she was a sly.
- [07:39]
C
But Chris Bowie calls those photos typical of most teens.
- [07:45]
B
Nothing salacious, nothing risque, nothing out of the ordinary. Young people posing for a photograph. When he saw that she was kind of going, you know, her own way, you know, they kind of went nuts.
- [08:01]
C
But the independent Noor refused to be controlled.
- [08:04]
B
She'd moved in, moved out, moved in, moved out, living with different friends.
- [08:09]
C
No matter where she went, her parents would track her down.
- [08:13]
B
It was almost a constant attempt to get her back in that house.
- [08:18]
C
Sometimes Noor stayed here with Amal, who was also from Iraq, and an old family friend. Amal's son, Marwan, says his mother and Noor had developed a special relationship.
- [08:29]
B
They were more than best friends, more than a mom to a daughter. She really loved Noor.
- [08:35]
C
In June 2009, after another blow up with her parents, Noor moved in with Amal's family. How did that affect the relationship between your family and hers?
- [08:47]
B
Well, her dad wasn't happy with it.
- [08:50]
C
Annie became furious when Noor fell in.
- [08:52]
A
Love with Marwan, he saw that as just a real smack in the face. Noor, in his mind, wasn't supposed to be dating anyone.
- [09:01]
C
Did she fear for her safety?
- [09:04]
B
She feared that something was really going to happen to her.
- [09:08]
C
Four months later, Noor was clinging to life, unconscious and unable to breathe on her own. But for investigators, there was a break in the case. After a week on the run, Noor's father was captured in England.
- [09:24]
B
The same day we received the information that he was in London. We recovered the vehicle in Nogales on the Mexican side of the border. So that was a big day for us.
- [09:33]
C
Fala Amalaki was brought back to the United States and charged with aggravated assault. But everything changed on November 2, 2009, when Noor died from her injuries.
- [09:46]
B
I wish it would have happened to me instead of her.
- [09:49]
C
Do you think of her?
- [09:51]
B
All the time?
- [09:54]
A
I miss her. I wish we spent more time together.
- [10:01]
B
Losing her wasn't just like losing a friend, but someone just taking, like, a huge chunk out of your life because there's so much she wanted to do and she couldn't.
- [10:15]
C
Six weeks after Noor's death, her father was charged with her murder. You believe this was a calculated and premeditated act? I do not an accident.
- [10:26]
B
There's no accident. There's no accident. He felt like it was his duty to do this, to restore his honor, restore his family's honor. This isn't an isolated incident. As we know now, it's happened around the world, and now here we have it in the United States. This is a really big problem. When you think of a classic crime scene and you think about blood and guns and wealth of evidence at a crime scene, this one didn't have it.
- [11:22]
C
With the death of Nora Amaleki, Detective Chris Bowie had a homicide investigation on his hands.
- [11:29]
B
We're in a parking lot where you have one tree that's knocked over. You've got some gravel that's disrupted. You've got a critical speed scuff mark on the asphalt. This is what we had, and we went from there.
- [11:41]
C
Knorr's father claimed his daughter's death was an accident, but Bowie was convinced he had enough evidence to prove it was cold blooded murder. For one thing, this tire mark, which we enhance in this crime scene photo, Bowie says it was made when Knorr's father aimed his SUV at the women.
- [11:59]
B
To hit the two victims, the defendant had to have turned his vehicle to the left at speed. There's no other reason why anybody would do that other than to attempt to hit Something.
- [12:11]
C
When mechanics inspected the vehicle, they found.
- [12:14]
B
There'S no problems with the brakes or the accelerator or anything like that.
- [12:16]
C
In fact, Bowie says tests on the brakes showed Falah could have stopped before barreling into his daughter, an amal, at almost 30 miles per hour. So what are we looking at, sir?
- [12:27]
B
This is the hood of the vehicle that Fola was driving the day of the incident.
- [12:32]
C
There was damage to the hood.
- [12:34]
B
There was an impact right in this.
- [12:37]
C
Area of the top of the hood and grill.
- [12:40]
B
This would be the area of impact here and here.
- [12:43]
C
That match where the vehicle hit the victims.
- [12:46]
B
Nora would have been directly in front of when the front of the vehicle struck her.
- [12:49]
C
And when investigators checked the undercarriage, we.
- [12:53]
B
Recovered a human hair.
- [12:56]
C
It was Nors. Bowie says the evidence clearly shows what happened that October morning.
- [13:03]
B
He was hunting that day and he found what he wanted and he took him out.
- [13:07]
C
Amal and Noor had come to this building to fill out some forms for social Services. While they were waiting, Noor's father appeared.
- [13:15]
B
Noor sees him, texts her friends.
- [13:17]
C
She wrote, dude, so scary. I'm with my aunt at the welfare place, and guess who walks in? My dad. I'm so shaky.
- [13:26]
B
Was it coincidental that he happened to be in the same DES building that Noor and Amal were on that day? There's a chance that that was a coincidence. He makes a conscious decision to leave, drives away.
- [13:40]
C
But phone records show he didn't go far.
- [13:43]
B
We think he was waiting here.
- [13:45]
C
When Noor and Amal finished their business, they walked across this parking lot.
- [13:50]
B
Where those cutouts are positioned is roughly where we believe Amal and Noor were.
- [13:57]
C
As the vehicle approached, Detective bowie demonstrated for 48 hours what investigators believe happened next.
- [14:04]
B
He leaves this location, rapidly, accelerates, makes a steering input into our two victims. Amal was hit roughly in this location and thrown approximately 20ft. Falak continued his left hand turn and aimed the front of the vehicle directly at Nor who was on the raised median area here. The entire vehicle rolled over the top of her and drug her significantly to the south, where she finally ended up behind the second tree. He didn't stop. He didn't call 911. He didn't say, oh, my God, it's an accident. He drives off, drives off, leaves her there for dead.
- [14:48]
C
Even more shocking than the callousness of the crime is what investigators believe is the motive.
- [14:54]
B
In certain traditions, in certain cultures, if a father believes that a female has acted in a dishonorable or disrespectful way to bring dishonor to the family to bring dishonor to the community, that the only way to restore that honor is to kill him.
- [15:15]
C
It's called an honor killing. Which Bowie learned is a premeditated murder to preserve family honor.
- [15:22]
B
When we had this case, I said, you know what? I think we have one here.
- [15:27]
C
But what had nor done to bring dishonor to her family? Bowie learned one of the things was those Internet photos of Knorr with male friends. Her father was so outraged, he took the then 17 year old high school senior back to Iraq and forced her to marry a family friend.
- [15:44]
B
Her mom and dad left her there and she was there alone. She was really scared, she was really mad.
- [15:50]
C
Noor told her friend Adi her parents wouldn't let her come home unless she went through with this forced marriage.
- [15:56]
B
After you get married to him, you have to bring him back here and you have to settle down with him. That was their conditions. And she said no at first. And then she said, okay, you know what? She just gave in.
- [16:06]
C
Adi says she got married. What may be most surprising is Noor's story is not unique.
- [16:16]
A
It definitely is a reality. There has been a survey that in the States over the past two years, there have been 3,000 cases of forced marriage. I understand you want to leave.
- [16:27]
C
Jasvinder Sangara founded Karma Nirvana in Great Britain to help victims of forced marriages and honor based violence.
- [16:35]
A
We are dealing with the tip of the iceberg.
- [16:38]
C
Jasvinder says these forced marriages are imposed by parents who want to control their defiant daughters.
- [16:45]
A
And the word I use, because this is the word the victims use on the helpline, it was designed to rehabilitate me, to get these ideas out my head of wanting to embrace independence and freedom and be westernized. Good afternoon, Carmen of Barn help plan. And if they resist, so the honor stakes go up. One never knows what a family is capable of.
- [17:11]
C
When Noor returned to the United States without the husband her parents chose for her, the clashes with her family escalated. Did Fala ever say to Noor, you had brought dishonor to our family?
- [17:24]
B
Yes, he did. Her returning from Iraq and not wanting to be in the arranged marriage was a huge dishonor. The fact that she was now dating Amal's son Marwan, I think was a big factor. And I think just the overall lack of control that he had over a young lady that was trying to make something of herself.
- [17:45]
C
Just three months before Knorr was murdered, her parents showed up at Amal's house looking for their daughter.
- [17:51]
B
I believe 12:30 or 1:00 clock in the morning, pounding on the door, demanding they open the door and demanding that Noor come with them.
- [18:01]
C
Police were called. Noor's father was belligerent.
- [18:04]
B
You can put me in jail for the rest of my life, but I'm tired of having my daughter dishonor me by living with his family.
- [18:13]
C
Her parents didn't let up. According to Marwan, just 48 hours before his girlfriend was mowed down, Noor's mother again ordered her home. And again Noor refused.
- [18:26]
B
That's when her mom told her, you know what? You have something coming to you in two days.
- [18:29]
C
Did Nor think she was marked for death? Did she believe that a family member was going to kill her?
- [18:37]
B
She never directly knew that, but she felt something really bad is gonna happen.
- [18:43]
C
Do you believe Noor's mother knew that she would be harmed?
- [18:48]
B
Yes, I do believe that. Do I have 100% proof? No.
- [18:52]
C
Noor had nowhere to turn for help. But if she'd been living in England, Jasvinder Sangara says she could have found refuge.
- [18:59]
A
I can tell you with conviction, had Noor come to us, she would be.
- [19:02]
C
Alive today, alive just like Lena. She also survived honor, violence and knows exactly what Nor went through.
- [19:12]
A
And my mom held a knife against my throat and said, if you ever leave again, we're going to kill you.
- [19:34]
B
Nora never had a chance to live her life. She never had an opportunity to graduate from college, to get a job, to be married, to have children. That's the tragedy here.
- [19:47]
C
For Detective Chris Bowie, getting justice for Nour Amaleki in what he believes was an honor killing became a personal mission. What was the greatest challenge in investigating this case?
- [19:59]
B
Wrapping your mind around an individual that thinks that honor's more important than the love of your child.
- [20:07]
C
It's an unimaginable concept for most Americans, but some cultures believe that murdering a child to restore family honor is justifiable. And Bowie believes that's what Nora's father did when he mowed her down. Even acknowledging his motive, Bowie says in this police interview, if your house has.
- [20:28]
B
Got a fire and, like, just a part of the house got fire, so we thought the house is burned, or we try to stop the fire. You got to put that small fire out. The rest of the house is going to burn down. Nor was a small fire. I think this was a collective decision that was made, and him being the father and the patriarch of the family, it was up to him to carry it out, and he did. Fresh developments in an alleged case of honor killing involving a young journalist.
- [20:59]
C
Although most common in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, Honor violence is increasingly occurring in Europe, Canada and now the United States.
- [21:10]
B
If it can happen in Peoria, Arizona, it can happen anywhere. Do I think there's a lot of other Nur al Malaquis out there? Yes, I do.
- [21:18]
C
And the statistics are startling. According to the United nations, an estimated 5,000 women worldwide are murdered each year in the name of honor.
- [21:28]
A
I believe there are many more murders that we haven't identified as honor killings out there.
- [21:35]
C
Although the majority of victims are Muslim. Jasvinder Sangara, author and survivor, insists honor violence is not sanctioned by any religion.
- [21:46]
A
Nowhere in Islam, Sikhism or Hinduism, in any of the major faiths does it say this is acceptable. Honor is man made. It's an oppressive cultural practice.
- [22:00]
C
Jasvinder was born in Great Britain, the daughter of Sikhs from India.
- [22:05]
A
My father came to Britain in 1952 from rural Punjab and he didn't leave his belief and value systems at Heathrow Airport. You know, he brought them with him.
- [22:16]
C
Growing up, Jazvinder and her siblings learned a code of conduct from their parents.
- [22:22]
A
You must not talk to boys. You must not wear makeup, you must not cut your hair. You stick to your own. That's what we were told. And if you cross that line, you have dishonored them and then you put yourself at risk.
- [22:37]
C
Jaz Vendor crossed that line when she was 15 after running away to avoid a forced marriage. Her family ostracized her.
- [22:45]
A
You've shamed us, you've dishonored us. From this day forward, you are now dead in our eyes. That decision I made then was for my children in the future. And that for me is the defining point where I think, yes, you did the right thing.
- [23:03]
C
Jaz Vendor survived and flourished, but her older sister Robina wasn't so fortunate.
- [23:09]
A
She suffered horrific domestic violence.
- [23:12]
C
Jazvinder says Robina was told she would dishonor the family if she left her abusive husband.
- [23:18]
A
So in the end, my sister committed suicide. She set herself on fire and my family regarded that to be more honorable than for her to leave her husband. But if she's been brave enough to tell you that she's at risk of being married.
- [23:32]
C
That inspired Jazvinder to start an organization to help victims of honor violence and a helpline that now receives some 450 calls a month.
- [23:41]
A
That's a drop in the ocean. There are thousands we have yet to reach, but it's a start.
- [23:46]
C
One of those callers was a desperate 17 year old now known as Lena.
- [23:52]
A
I remember I was so scared, I was literally shaking. My hands were shaking.
- [23:57]
C
Two years earlier, she had tried to run away. Her dishonored family was furious.
- [24:03]
A
My mom, when she held the knife to my throat, she threatened to cut my tongue off. And then she said, oh, if you don't listen to your stepfather, he'll rape you.
- [24:11]
C
It was after the British born teen refused to marry an older cousin that she was pulled out of school and held captive by her strict Muslim parents. Lena had been locked in her home for nearly two years.
- [24:25]
A
Her stepfather had gone to the extreme of putting barbed wire all around the back of the house so she couldn't escape.
- [24:32]
C
Lena says she was regularly beaten for being too westernized.
- [24:37]
A
I used to go into the bathroom and put the taps on and cry my eyes out. And then, because I didn't want anyone to hear me and I used to just look in the mirror and I used to be like, how long is this going to carry on for?
- [24:46]
C
She finally got the courage to end her ordeal after reading about Jasvinder Sangara's helpline. But it would take a year to make that call.
- [24:55]
A
I couldn't handle it anymore. And like, I would have rather been dead than stay in that house.
- [25:00]
C
With Jasvinder on the phone and a set of keys she found, Lena made her escape.
- [25:06]
A
I thought, you know, this is my chance. If I don't do it now, then that's it. She literally fled out the back door petrified. I could hear the fear in her voice and it was as if I was with her on every single step. I was very scared, like you're running for your life basically.
- [25:23]
C
Lena would find a safe haven with Jazvinder's help. And a few weeks later the two met.
- [25:30]
A
And there was this girl walking towards me. She must have been 6 foot 2. She had these big high heels on, very tight jeans on, lots of makeup on, her hair was everywhere and it was snowing. And I just looked at her, smiled and I said, why are you wearing those heels? And she just looked me direct in the eye and she went, because I can't.
- [25:55]
C
Lena is now an independent 23 year old.
- [25:58]
A
She's in control of her life now, but she also knows that her family are capable of doing something to her. The dishonor doesn't go away.
- [26:10]
C
Back in Phoenix, Chris Bowie is hoping to convince a jury that something as foreign as an honor killing could happen in their backyard. I know you were confident, you had a pretty strong case, but there must have been some cause for concern or worry.
- [26:24]
B
You're always concerned you prepare as well as you can, but there's always that tinge of uncertainty. You never know.
- [26:40]
A
Imagine fast hydration combined with balanced energy. Perfectly flavored with zero artificial sweet sweeteners. Introducing Liquid Ivy's new energy multiplier, Sugar Free. Unlike other energy drinks, you know the ones that make you feel like you're glitching. It's made with natural caffeine and electrolytes so you get the boost without the burnout. Liquid IV's new energy multiplier, Sugar Free Hydrating energy. Tap the banner to learn more.
- [27:09]
B
What's up guys?
- [27:10]
A
It's Candice Dillard Bassett, former Real Housewife of Potomac. And I'm Michael Arseneault, author of the.
- [27:15]
B
New York Times bestseller I Can't Date Jesus.
- [27:18]
A
And this is Undomestic, the podcast where we aren't just saying the quiet parts out loud. We're putting it all on the kitchen table and inviting you to the function. If you're ready for some bold takes and a little bit of chaos, welcome to Undomesticated. Follow and listen to Undomesticated, available wherever you get your podcasts.
- [27:42]
B
All right, please.
- [27:46]
C
On January 24, 2011, more than a year after Noor Amaliki's tragic death, testimony in her father's murder trial is about to begin. The state has charged the defendant with.
- [27:57]
B
Count one, first degree murder. Even if you think you have the biggest slam dunk case in the history of criminal justice, you never know what's going to happen when you get it in front of a jury.
- [28:07]
C
The stakes are high, not only for detective Chris Bowie, but for prosecutor Laura Record as well. This will be one of the first cases in the United States prosecuted as an honor killing.
- [28:18]
A
Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong.
- [28:23]
C
For the prosecutor, an experienced trial attorney who has taken on tough criminals like ex Mafia hitman Sammy the Bull Gravano, this case was the toughest to understand.
- [28:34]
A
It's chilling that your own flesh and blood that you would mow down with your own car because it suits your culture. It's just cold.
- [28:47]
C
But the question for the jury isn't whether Falal Amaliki drove the vehicle that ran down his daughter and badly injured Amal Khalaf. They'll have to decide whether it was a premeditated act, an honor killing.
- [29:00]
A
I want that jury to understand that this father had a motive to kill. This is a case about a man, the defendant, who committed these horrific and oh so wrong crimes all in the name of his sense of honor. This case.
- [29:18]
C
But defense attorney Elizabeth Mullins argues that Falah never intended to harm anyone.
- [29:24]
A
Abu Noor lost his Noor. That was never his intent.
- [29:30]
C
She claims he merely meant to spit on Amal and scare his daughter, but accidentally hit them both.
- [29:37]
A
And when he yanks the wheel, he hits the curb, goes up on the median, and runs over a tree. He stops and he looks back. Nor. Nor.
- [29:51]
B
Nor.
- [29:52]
A
My baby is lying there. Nor's in the median. He panics.
- [29:57]
C
Then she says Falah fled. And to reinforce their case, another defense attorney, Jeff Kirchler, sets his sights on Detective Bowie, arguing that Falah insisted it was an accident after he was taken into custody.
- [30:13]
B
He tells you 15 times that it was an accident, and you're trying to get him to tell you, you know, that he did this on purpose, that it wasn't an accident.
- [30:23]
A
Is that correct?
- [30:24]
B
Yeah. I told him I didn't believe it was an accident. And he had an opportunity to tell everybody why this happened, why he did what he did.
- [30:31]
C
And then Kerschler strikes at the heart of the prosecution's theory, claiming Falah had no motive to murder his daughter. In fact, he suggests it was investigators who planted the notion of honor.
- [30:43]
B
You asked him, you were trying to restore that honor that was taken away, is that right? Yes. You gave him this. It was honor because you knew something about his culture, right? Yes. He denies that this was the reason that this occurred. Right. He doesn't come out and say that's the reason why this occurred? No.
- [31:09]
A
Up to two years prior to this incident, this was a man who was saying that he was being dishonored by his daughter. He'd rather go to jail for the rest of his life than be dishonored by his daughter.
- [31:18]
C
This was a calculated and premeditated act, in our opinion.
- [31:22]
A
Yes, it was.
- [31:24]
C
Record says the crime scene photos and analysis from crash reconstruction experts show Fallah had enough time to break before striking Noor and Amal.
- [31:33]
A
It's quick, but you make a conscious decision to put your foot on the accelerator, and that's reflection, and that's premeditation, and that's first degree murder.
- [31:47]
C
And to prove Noor had reason to fear her father, prosecutors present the text messages she sent moments before the attack in which Knorr says she was scared. And the jury received transcripts of recorded jailhouse phone conversations between Knorr's parents after Fala's arrest.
- [32:06]
A
I think one of the most telling calls was when the defendant's wife says to him, you rushed it at the Maricopa County Lower Buckeye Jail.
- [32:18]
C
In that call, Noor's father Said, I didn't assault someone from the street. I tried to give her a chance. His wife responds, you rushed it. You rushed it, Fala.
- [32:29]
A
They were going to take some action, even if that meant killing her.
- [32:32]
B
He's waiting in the parking lot for 45 to 50 minutes. To me, that shows premeditation. He could have gone home, but instead he chose to wait until they came out. We had a vehicle parked about here.
- [32:48]
C
In all the state calls 22 witnesses to prove their case, including Shanil Nakamoto, who ran to Noor's side that fateful day.
- [32:57]
A
We heard an engine revving, and then I saw a car heading towards Peoria Avenue from the DES building.
- [33:04]
C
But the most crucial witness for the prosecution was the lone survivor who was with Noor when they were both struck by Falah.
- [33:12]
A
Our next witness is Amal Khalaf.
- [33:15]
C
You were concerned whether or not Amal was going to show up or not?
- [33:18]
A
I actually was. At one point, I thought I was going to have to proceed without, you know, a victim. Yeah, I saw when he hit me. I saw the car. It was driving so fast.
- [33:28]
C
Amal took the stand at great personal risk, record says, fearing retaliation from an Iraqi community that had now turned their back on her for testifying. And she asked the judge to not show her face on the witness stand. Do you fear for your safety, for speaking out?
- [33:45]
A
Of course. Fear is always there.
- [33:48]
C
In fact, to this day, Amal still lives in hiding in Fala's mind. Was this an honor killing?
- [33:56]
A
Was he proud of it? Yes.
- [33:59]
C
Throughout the trial, Falal's family supported him in court. But as in life, Detective Bowie says no one stood for Knorr.
- [34:07]
B
There was an underlying fear in everybody that we talked to associated with Knorr that if they testified in court in front of their community, they could have some problems.
- [34:20]
C
Something that still haunts her friend.
- [34:23]
B
No one was on her side. No one was there to testify and say that, you know, her dad abused her, her dad did this, her dad did that, her parents harassed her. No one was there to say it. If I knew firsthand, I would have done it in a heartbeat. We are prepared to go forward with our closing arguments.
- [34:36]
C
After a month long trial, the defense rests without calling a single witness. And with all eyes on him, Falad chooses not to testify, leaving lawyers to argue about whether he's the victim of circumstance or a killer done in by his own conceit.
- [34:53]
B
Your job is to figure out exactly.
- [34:55]
A
What happened that day.
- [34:57]
C
In closing arguments, the defense reminds the jury that it was an accident and there's no evidence to prove Fala intended to harm anyone.
- [35:05]
B
Is this an honor killing? I'm not so sure.
- [35:10]
C
But prosecutor Laura Record says otherwise.
- [35:13]
A
Good fathers protect their children. Good fathers don't blame their children. Good fathers especially don't kill their children. I rarely dream about a trial when I'm in it. But during the course of this trial, I started to wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares.
- [35:50]
C
For prosecutor Laura Record, those nightmares continued as the jury deliberated Folah Amaliki's fate.
- [35:58]
A
I was worried. I could hear the jurors screaming.
- [36:04]
C
As one agonizing day turned into two, then three.
- [36:09]
A
By the fourth day of deliberations, I was feeling sick to my stomach.
- [36:14]
C
Finally, on February 22, 2011, a verdict. Linda, would you read and then file the verdict forms? For both sides, the tension was unbearable. We the jury, do find the defendant.
- [36:27]
A
As to count one, first degree murder. Not guilty.
- [36:33]
C
Not guilty of first degree murder.
- [36:36]
B
I was disappointed, very disappointed.
- [36:40]
C
Instead, the jury finds Falat guilty of the lesser charge of second degree murder. Meaning they did not agree the attack on Knorr was premeditated or an honor killing.
- [36:51]
B
You know, the jury didn't agree with us. Wasn't happy. Still not. Never will be.
- [36:57]
C
You thought he should have been convicted.
- [36:58]
B
Of first degree murder?
- [36:59]
C
First degree.
- [37:00]
B
That's what he did. It was premeditated. He thought about it. He had ample time to reflect upon not doing it and decided to do it anyway. For 50 year old Amaleki, who killed.
- [37:13]
C
Eight weeks later, Falat is back in court for sentencing. And for the other victim, Amal, the moment is overwhelming. Especially for her son, Marwan, Noor's boyfriend, who had to be escorted from the courtroom. Throughout his trial, Falah showed little emotion. But when the time came to answer for his actions, he could barely contain himself. I wish I was dead and not her.
- [37:42]
B
I'm very sorry.
- [37:47]
C
But Judge Roland Steinle is unmoved as he hands down the sentence. Apparently your daughter had a lot of questions, qualities everybody turned to her. And she couldn't turn to the one person she needed because her father had closed his heart and decided one day death was for her. As you sit in your jail cell, I hope you come to grips with what you really did. So far, it's all been about you. Just a mean old man killing his child. And with that, Falat is sentenced to a total of 34 and a half years in prison for killing Noor and gravely injuring Amal.
- [38:29]
B
He got off easy as far as I'm concerned.
- [38:32]
A
It was horrible. Makes us feel like we let Noor down and you know, that just breaks your heart. And this broke my heart.
- [38:41]
C
Hi, I'm Troy Roberts from 48 Hours. Are you Ali? We tried to talk to Nor's family. I wanted to know if you had time to speak with me about your sister, Nor. But they later changed their minds. Don't you think? There were still some questions from this trial that haven't been answered.
- [39:00]
B
Is it going to help? Is it going to help anymore? Is it going to change anything?
- [39:06]
C
There's nothing that needs to be said. Do you believe this was intentional?
- [39:11]
B
I believe what I believe because I'm part of it. You're the outside looking and everybody is. You won't understand me.
- [39:17]
C
Why wouldn't I understand? I mean, it's a simple question. Was it intentional or was it an accident?
- [39:23]
B
Does it matter to you?
- [39:25]
C
Yeah.
- [39:26]
B
How so you can make money off.
- [39:28]
A
Of this whole thing.
- [39:30]
B
It doesn't matter to you? All right? To you it's just a TV show. To me, this is life.
- [39:34]
A
It does not surprise me that Americans are surprised this is happening in the States. But I think that will change with awareness.
- [39:42]
C
The sentence may not have been what the prosecution wanted, but Jasvinder Sangara sees hope.
- [39:48]
A
It's better than some of the sentences I've seen in the uk.
- [39:52]
C
However, there is more work to be done.
- [39:53]
A
She says if you don't deal with this, then it will only get worse for the victim. And believe me, the perpetrators will catch wind of that.
- [40:03]
C
But Detective Bowie has a message for anyone who thinks they can kill in the name of honor.
- [40:08]
B
Murder is murder. I hope it sends a message to anybody that might be thinking about doing this is that if you do it, we're coming after you. I hope that people remember, never forget nor and what happened to her. She had deep conviction for where she came from, where her family came from. I think she wanted the best of both worlds world.
- [40:30]
A
She has beautiful eyes. If we were ever in a group of people, it was obvious Nora's here. Her presence was so strong.
- [40:39]
B
She's gone physically. But her memories are always going to live on forever.
- [40:42]
A
She looks absolutely stunning.
- [40:44]
C
In the end, those closest to Noor choose to remember the friend they had rather than the one they lost.
- [40:52]
B
When I want to see her, I just look up in the sky. Noor means God's light. During the daytime, she's in the form of a sun. But at night she's in the form of a moon. And day and night, she's always watching out for me.
- [41:11]
C
In 2024, Folah Amalaki died while in prison.
- [41:23]
B
Now streaming.
- [41:24]
C
Everyone who comes into this clinic is a mystery.
- [41:27]
A
We don't know what we're looking for.
- [41:29]
C
Their bodies are the scene of the crime. Their symptoms and history are clues.
- [41:33]
A
You saved your life.
- [41:35]
C
We're doctors, and we're detectives.
- [41:37]
A
I kind of love it, if I'm being honest. Solve the puzzle.
- [41:41]
C
Save the patient, Watson.
- [41:44]
B
All episodes now streaming on Paramount Plus. Tulsa is my home now.
- [41:54]
C
Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone stars in the Paramount plus original series, Tulsa King.
- [42:00]
B
His distillery is a very interesting business. And we got to know the enemy.
- [42:06]
C
From Taylor Sheridan, co creator of Landman.
- [42:09]
A
What are you saying?
- [42:10]
C
I'm all right.
- [42:11]
B
If you think you're going to.
- [42:12]
C
To take me out. It's going to be really difficult. Tulsa King. New season now streaming exclusively on Paramount plus.