An accused murderer who fled the United States last month while on a 48-hour pass from a Virginia mental health facility had access to a taxpayer-funded apartment during his leave. Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda departed the U.S. on July 6, boarding a flight to his native Tajikistan via Istanbul. The ticket was purchased under his name using an American Express card, according to court records.
Toshpulodzoda had been receiving inpatient treatment at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) in Falls Church, Virginia. Despite the murder accusation, he was permitted to leave the facility for up to 48 hours at a time to stay at an apartment provided through the Fairfax Permanent Supportive Housing Program. This authorization allowed for unaccompanied community visits.
In 2019, Toshpulodzoda fatally stabbed Mohammad Hemmatian in his Vienna, Virginia, home. In 2022, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity of second-degree murder and committed to a state psychiatric facility. A legal finding of insanity means the prosecution cannot secure a conviction at trial, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
As recently as June, a judge ruled that Toshpulodzoda "shall not be released from custody and inpatient hospitalization without further order of this court." Virginia state law, however, permits certain patients committed to psychiatric facilities, including those accused of violent crimes, to receive temporary day or weekend passes. NVMHI's Internal Forensic Privileging Committee had approved Toshpulodzoda for these unaccompanied visits.
In May, Toshpulodzoda received permission to visit the Tajikistan Embassy in Washington, D.C., with an escort to obtain a passport. The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office requested an arrest warrant for Toshpulodzoda on August 5, a month after his departure. Prosecutors stated they had opposed his release during annual review hearings in June. A bench warrant was issued immediately upon learning of his escape, with the intention that he will be arrested and extradited to Virginia if he re-enters the U.S.