He lost his possessions and his mind. Then, he killed his wife.
A Tennessee man told the court he lost his mind after being kicked out of his home and headed for divorce by his estranged wife. Then, he killed her. Now, he would never walk free again.
Recently, Montgomery County Judge Robert Bateman sentenced Hamid Houbbadi to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the stabbing death of Leila Chanane. Houbbadi was found guilty and convicted of one count of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder in perpetration of a crime, and one count of aggravated burglary.
On Oct. 20, 2018, while Houbbadi was staying temporarily with a friend due to an order of protection filed by Chanane, he had received a call from his pharmacy to pick up his prescription. Upon arrival at the local Walmart, he found out his credit card had expired. Then, the defendant headed to the residence he had previously shared with his estranged wife to get some money.
While rummaging through the home, Houbbadi discovered the contact card of a divorce attorney he had met a few weeks earlier. Enraged by the development, the 43-year-old defendant claimed he lost it and waited for his wife to talk about it. Furthermore, Houbbadi told the court, Chanane had stolen $11,750 from his safe. Hence, he reported the theft to the police, who issued a report.
“My money gone, she kicked me (out) from the house. I just want to say I’m sorry for what I did. I wish I never gone to my house,” said Houbbadi in tears, reported Leaf Chronicle.
However, Montgomery County District Attorney General Robert Nash refuted the defendant’s claim. He argued Houbbadi’s motive to kill his wife was premeditated because the defendant had cut off the electricity to the residence 15 minutes after his arrival at the residence. In addition, Nash told the court the victim had suffered a brutal death with two stab wounds to her front torso and seven stab wounds to her back.
“The devil is always in the details in these cases,” said Nash to the judge, according to Clarksville Now.com.
On the other hand, Houbbadi’s defense lawyer Charles Bloodsworth, argued the murder committed by his client was not intentional but out of frustration.
Houbbadi had met the 41-year-old Chanane in Morocco four years before her demise. They had gotten married in 2015 after the defendant filed for her visa to join him in the U.S. However, the marriage went sour after USCIS denied Chanane’s permanent residency. Instead, she was given a six month extension on her temporary permit. As a result, she claimed Houbbadi was responsible for the application’s denial.
Bateman sentenced Houbbadi to additional 12 years in prison for the aggravated burglary charge. He was ordered to serve the term consecutively to the life sentence.
