ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – An Ithaca man could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
On August 19, 44-year-old Ahmed Abed was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for second-degree murder.
In June, Abed pled guilty to the intentional killing of his wife, 43-year-old Alaa Hussein Jeena Abedi, at their home on November 11, 2024.
District Attorney Matt Van Houten says there was no plea offer, and the prosecution sought the maximum sentence from the outset of the trial.
“Under the circumstances of this brutal and heinous murder, I strongly believe that the maximum sentence of 25 to life was the appropriate sentence and I am disappointed that the law does not allow me to ask for a greater sentence,” said Van Houten. “Abed’s cruel and senseless act of violence took away both parents from the children and caused them immeasurable pain that no court proceeding can ever come close to addressing.”
Three of the couple’s four children appeared at the sentencing hearing and asked the court to impose the maximum sentence. All four were home at the time of the crime.
