This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 25-year-old man fatally stabbed an alleged Millcreek area drug dealer man earlier this month so he could steal the victim's money and prescription pills, according to charges filed Friday.
Karrar Thaer Suhail is charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony counts of murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, as well as second-degree felony obstructing justice, for the Dec. 9 death of 46-year-old Alaa Alkhatawi.
Alkhatawi was selling prescription narcotics — including Oxycodone, Xanax and methadone — from his home at 3365 S. 900 East, and Suhail was addicted to pain pills and had bought them from Alkhatawi in the past, according to charging documents.
Alkhatawi was found dead on his kitchen floor with 40 stab wounds in body. He was stabbed nine times in the neck, including a wound that severed his carotid artery and nicked his jugular vein, charges state.
Police spoke to a number of informants, identified in charging documents by their initials, who described Suhail as an unemployed addict who rarely has large amounts of cash and often wears the same clothing for days at a time.
But on the day of Alkhatawi's death, Suhail had money to by a knife, clothing and to have his hair done in braids at a salon, an informant told police.
Suhail also knew how many times Alkhatawi was stabbed in the neck, according to an informant, information which had not been publicly released, charges state.
Another informant told police that in the early hours of Dec. 9, he went to Alkhatawi's home and saw Suhail, his hand on the door, walk away from the residence.
Following his arrest, police noted that Suhail was wearing new clothes, new boots and had his hair in multiple braids. He also had $1,300 in cash, charges state.
During an interview, Suhail told a detective he was currently under the influence of "Oxy," adding that he "goes crazy" if he doesn't get his pills and that he constantly has to borrow money from people to buy pills, charges state.
Suhail allegedly gave inconsistent statements about having contact with the victim prior to his death. He said he went to Alkhatawi's home but that no one answered the door, then said Alkhatawi did answer, and then denied that Alkhatawi came to the door.
Prior to being charged with the homicide, Suhail was arrested on Dec.12 in West Valley City for allegedly having 42 Xanax pills and a large folding knife. He was jailed on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
His prior criminal record includes a 2012 felony aggravated assault involving a male juvenile, a 2014 felony riot conviction, and a guilty plea in March 2015 to misdemeanor attempted forgery and theft by deception charges.
Alkhatawi, at the time of his death, was on probation following a January guilty plea to filing a false insurance claim on a car he claimed had been stolen.
In 2015, Alkhatawi pleaded guilty in Farmington's 2nd District Court to two misdemeanor counts of attempted possession of a controlled substance: cocaine and methadone.