A Virginia man who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2019 homicide has fled the United States to Tajikistan while on an authorized 48-hour pass from a state mental health facility, according to court records.
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda departed the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) on July 6 for a planned two-day leave. He was scheduled to return on July 8 but failed to do so, FOX 5 reported, citing court documents.
Instead, Toshpulodzoda traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport, boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, and then continued to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, court records indicate. The filing stated, "The Acquittee failed to return to NVMHI on July 8, 2026, as required."
Toshpulodzoda was committed to the custody of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in 2022 after being declared not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of his landlord, Mohammad Hemmatian. His departure occurred shortly after a judge determined that he remained mentally ill and required inpatient treatment.
"On June 29, 2026, this Court found that the Acquittee remained mentally ill and in need of inpatient hospitalization," court documents stated. Despite this finding, Virginia law permits mental health facilities to grant certain committed patients unaccompanied community visits lasting up to 48 hours.
NVMHI authorized Toshpulodzoda's departure on July 6. Court records show he left the approved facility and proceeded to Dulles Airport instead of returning. Airline records attached to the court filing detailed a Turkish Airlines itinerary from Dulles to Istanbul and onward to Dushanbe.
In 2024, Toshpulodzoda had previously been permitted to travel to Washington, D.C., to obtain a passport, with the support of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, according to FOX 5.
Following Toshpulodzoda's failure to return, NVMHI classified him as an escapee, revoked his pass, and issued a facility warrant. The Virginia State Police and federal authorities were notified, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an alert in anticipation of any attempt to re-enter the United States. A bench warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.
"Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was found by clinicians to be insane at the time he killed Mohammad Hemmatian – a legal finding that means the Commonwealth would be unable to secure a conviction at trial," the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s office said in a statement. "Following that 2022 finding, prosecutors have opposed his release at annual review hearings, including in June of this year, where a judge ordered that he continue to be confined in a state behavioral health facility. A bench warrant was issued immediately following notice that he had escaped custody, so if he enters the U.S., he will be arrested and brought to Virginia."