After more than four years of fighting for justice, the family of an Emirati military officer shot and killed in Texas have finally seen his killer sentenced to life in jail.
Detone Lewayne Price, now 22 and from Houston, was convicted of the murder of 28-year-old UAE Armed Forces captain Salem Saif Al Mazrouei on August 7, 2011.
Capt Al Mazrouei, who left behind a wife and young son, had been visiting Houston where his father was receiving treatment for cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Centre.
During the trial, the court heard that on August 7,Capt Al Mazrouei and his father had parked in front of their apartment in the Medical Centre area of Houston, Texas, to unload their Toyota car.
Shortly after Capt Al Mazrouei’s father went up to the apartment, his son was forced through the door by two men.
Price and a second man, Corey Trevon Perry, then robbed the father and son. The elder Mr Al Mazrouei fled from the apartment during the robbery followed by his son. However, Capt Al Mazrouei was shot in the back before the men fled the scene in the victim’s car.
At the time of the attack, Price was 18, and Perry, 17.
Capt Mazrouei was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night. The car was later found abandoned.
Evidence inside the vehicle led police to Price, who was arrested just three kilometres from where the murder had been committed about 24 hours before. Perry was also found nearby after a short manhunt.
Fingerprints inside the car were used to identify Price and Perry, and they were later picked out from police photographs by Capt Al Mazrouei’s father.
The body of Capt Al Mazrouei was returned to the UAE four days after the murder and was laid to rest in his home town of Adhen, in Ras Al Khaimah, on August 12.
The State of Texas could have chosen to press for the death penalty for Price, though not for Perry, who at 17 was under age. Texas is one of 36 states in the US with capital punishment.
Both men remained in prison during the trial. Price was not given bail, but Perry was granted bail in the amount of US$1 million (Dh3.6m), but remained in jail.
Perry pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for 45 years in prison and he will be eligible for parole after serving half of that sentence. Price was handed a life sentence without parole.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
