A Virginia man, found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2019 killing, has fled the United States on a one-way flight to Tajikistan after failing to return from an authorized 48-hour pass from a mental health facility.
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was released from the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) on July 6 for a temporary leave. He was scheduled to return two days later but instead traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, en route to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to court records.
Toshpulodzoda had been committed to the custody of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in 2022 following his acquittal in the death of his landlord, Mohammad Hemmatian. The court's decision meant the prosecution could not secure a conviction at trial.
This development occurred shortly after a judge determined on June 29, 2026, that Toshpulodzoda remained mentally ill and required inpatient hospitalization. Despite this assessment, Virginia law permits mental health facilities to grant certain committed patients unaccompanied community visits of up to 48 hours.
Following Toshpulodzoda's failure to return, NVMHI placed him on escape status, revoked his pass, and issued a facility warrant. Virginia State Police and federal authorities were notified, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection was alerted in case he attempted to re-enter the United States. A bench warrant for his arrest has since been issued.
The Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney's office stated that while Toshpulodzoda was found insane at the time of the killing, prosecutors had opposed his release at annual review hearings. They confirmed that if he enters the U.S., he will be arrested and brought back to Virginia.
Court records indicate this was not the first time Toshpulodzoda had been granted travel privileges. He had previously been allowed to travel to Washington, D.C., in 2024 to obtain a passport, with support from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.