ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Muhammad Syed in connection with a 2022 shooting in Albuquerque.
In a unanimous decision, the Court rejected arguments from Syed that there was insufficient evidence to prove he was the shooter or that he acted with deliberate intent in the killing of Aftab Hussein.
According to court records, Hussein was found shot to death outside his home next to his vehicle. Investigators determined he had just arrived, noting the car’s hood was still warm and his key fob was found near his body. He had been shot 11 times.
Evidence presented at trial included testimony linking an AK-47-style rifle recovered from under Syed’s bed to a bullet found in the victim’s body. Additional shell casings from the scene matched the same weapon, and two casings were also found inside Syed’s vehicle.
Prosecutors also relied on cell phone data, which showed Syed’s phone was near the scene at the time of the shooting and later traveled toward his home.
Syed argued on appeal that the evidence presented was not enough to support his conviction and that the trial court should have granted a directed verdict in his favor. The Supreme Court disagreed.
In the opinion written by Justice Michael E. Vigil, the Court stated that both direct and circumstantial evidence can be used to support a conviction and found that the jury had sufficient evidence to reach its verdict.
The Court also concluded there was enough evidence to support a finding of deliberate intent, citing the number of shots fired, the weapon used, and the close range of the attack.
With the ruling, Syed’s conviction for first-degree willful and deliberate murder remains in place.
