Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty for Shahidul Islam, a Bangladeshi national who allegedly re-entered the United States after being deported and subsequently killed his sister-in-law, Monica Islam. Islam, 44, was indicted Wednesday by a Lake County grand jury on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder.
Authorities allege that Shahidul Islam shot and killed Monica Islam on May 2, 2025. She was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head on the side of a road hours after her disappearance, according to State Attorney Bill Gladson of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Evidence cited by prosecutors includes DNA found in Shahidul Islam's car matching the victim, a bullet recovered from the passenger door, and a shattered passenger window.
Gladson stated that internet searches conducted by Shahidul Islam on the morning of the killing were deemed "suspicious." Following the alleged murder, authorities reported that Shahidul Islam rented a car and traveled to New York City. He was apprehended there through a joint effort involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
After facing prosecution and sentencing for unlawful entry into the U.S., Shahidul Islam was extradited back to Lake County, Florida. He is currently being held without bond at the Lake County Detention Facility.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia commented on the case, stating, "No family should ever have to endure the pain of such a senseless and horrific act of violence as this one. Shahidul Islam illegally entered our country after being deported, committed this heinous crime, and then fled to a sanctuary city."
Gladson's office announced its pursuit of the death penalty, citing the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim's family. He affirmed the office's commitment to pursuing justice and holding the offender accountable to the fullest extent of the law.