A refugee from Afghanistan currently residing in Michigan has been arrested following accusations that he repeatedly stabbed his caseworker.
Caseworker attacked by refugee
The violent incident unfolded in an affluent neighborhood in Orion Township, near Detroit, on Wednesday.
Authorities from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a brutal stabbing. The suspect reportedly fled the scene in his car but was apprehended shortly after.
Investigators have confirmed that the accused is an Afghan refugee, while the victim works as a caseworker for an organization that assists with refugee resettlement in Michigan. Officials are convinced that no other parties were involved in the attack.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard revealed that the victim sustained “multiple stab wounds” and was rushed into surgery immediately upon arrival at the hospital. Despite the severity of his injuries, the victim’s condition is said to be improving.
The sheriff lamented the suspect’s actions, stating that the victim was simply “trying to do their job, which is to help that person assimilate.”
The police have withheld the identities of both the suspect and the victim. Information regarding how long the suspect has been in the United States and his current immigration status is also unavailable.
Refugee’s motive for stabbing caseworker unknown
Bouchard added, “We don’t know specifically what his complaint was or his motive was,” as authorities continue their investigation into the matter.
In a similar case in Alaska, jurors found Sarah Dayan, a 39-year-old woman, guilty of murdering Keith Huss, 57, her court-appointed supervisor while also looting his bank account.
The jury deliberated for a day and a half before determining her guilt on multiple counts, as disclosed by the Alaska Department of Law.
Though “heat of passion” was submitted as a defense for the counts of first-degree murder and one of the second-degree murder charges, it failed to absolve the defendant in the other related charges. Additional convictions include burglary and theft.
This tragic story began on September 28, 2020, when authorities granted Dayan bail on an unrelated case under the condition that she be supervised by Keith Huss, who was assigned to oversee her compliance post-release.
On that same day, Huss retrieved Dayan from the Wildwood Correctional Complex in Kenai, Alaska.
The pair intended to travel to Anchorage so Huss could provide vocational assistance related to his role managing a food truck.
State troopers discover case supervisor’s body
However, what followed was shockingly grim. Troopers discovered Huss’s body the next day at the Turnagain Pass Rest Area.
He had been struck by Dayan’s vehicle and shot four times with a .45-caliber handgun, which she had obtained soon after leaving jail. Evidence from the scene painted a chilling picture of her actions.
“Troopers observed damage to Dayan’s vehicle that was consistent with it having been used to strike Mr. Huss,” officials stated.
Investigators uncovered additional evidence linking her to Huss’s murder—the accused had transferred hundreds of dollars from
Huss’s personal bank account to her own and made unauthorized purchases in the immediate aftermath of his death.
Authorities also pieced together her activities during her attempt to evade capture. After fatally attacking Huss, Dayan allegedly engaged in a spree involving vehicle thefts and a cabin burglary in Seward, as she fled from the law. Dayan was eventually apprehended in Seward, Alaska, on October 1, 2020.
Reliving the ordeal, Michael Huss, the victim’s brother, commented, “We’ve talked a lot about closure I think with our friends and I didn’t really think it was about closure because my brother’s going to kind of always be with us, but what I didn’t appreciate was how much weight was put on us to find justice for Keith, and it’s been over four years and it’s just a huge relief.”
Dayan’s sentencing is slated for May 6, 2025, where the various murder convictions will merge into a single count. Dayan faces a potential prison term ranging from 15 to 99 years.