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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - After fleeing to Houston following the murder of a woman in Denver, a Colorado man is sentenced to life for also fatally stabbing a Houston man.
Abbas Abdal Abed, 47, was convicted in Harris County in May for killing 29-year-old Abdulrahman Haris on Dec. 15, 2019, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
"Houston is a big and diverse city, and someone on the run may think they can hide out here. But the cohesiveness of our community is our strength, and we will find and prosecute fugitives," Ogg said. "It is a tragedy that a young man lost his life because someone he barely knew was trying to escape any responsibility and accountability."
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Abed is accused of killing 31-year-old Chelsea Anna Snider at a hotel in the Denver suburb of Sheridan. Snider is said to have died from blunt force trauma and stab wounds.
Authorities are unclear about the relationship between the two.
Abbas Abdal Abed (Photo courtesy of Harris County District Attorney’s Office)
After the alleged murder of Snider, Abed left for Houston since he lived there in the past and knew several people there, including Haris. Abed and Haris were both from Iraq and moved to Houston around the same time.
When he arrived after leaving Colorado, records say Haris gave Abed some money and was driving him to the Wal-Mart on 9460 W. Sam Houston Parkway in southwest Houston in a gold Toyota Avalon.
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Haris was said to be driving when Abed suddenly stabbed him. Haris pulled over and ran out of the car while Abed took the vehicle and drove off.
According to officials, surveillance video showed Haris getting out of the car in the parking lot and running toward a group of people for help. He had been stabbed in the neck and abdomen and later died of his wounds.
Abdulrahman Haris (Photo courtesy of Harris County District Attorney’s Office)
Houston police arrested Abed about two weeks later at a Houston area food pantry.
Harris County District Attorney's Office said the U.S. Marshals Service posted photos of Abed all over that side of town because he was wanted for the murder in Colorado. A security guard at the food bank recognized Abed from the flyers and called the police.
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After hearing more evidence in the case, state District Judge Te’iva Bell sentenced Abed to life in prison on Thursday and he must serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole.
The murder case in Colorado is pending.
Assistant District Attorney Catherine Johnson, a chief in the DA’s trial bureau, prosecuted the case with ADA Sarah Dimas.
"We don’t want Abbas Abed walking the same streets as our families, our friends, or our children ever again," Johnson said. "He is scary as hell."