Toshpulodzoda, an illegal immigrant from Tajikistan, is accused of killing his landlord, Mohammad Hemmatian, in a Vienna, Virginia, home in December 2019. Police found Toshpulodzoda covered in blood at the scene, and he admitted to stabbing the 61-year-old victim.

In 2022, a court found Toshpulodzoda not guilty by reason of insanity on a second-degree murder charge. He was committed to the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute under the custody of Virginia's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

Toshpulodzoda remained in the facility for years. As recently as June 2026, a judge ruled that he remained mentally ill and required continued inpatient hospitalization. Prosecutors opposed any release at annual reviews, citing public safety concerns.

On July 6, 2026, facility staff granted Toshpulodzoda an unescorted 48-hour pass. He did not return. Instead, he traveled to Dulles International Airport and boarded a one-way flight to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, via Istanbul.

An immigration detainer had been in place, and an immigration judge had ordered his removal on June 24. Court records show he departed in compliance with that order while on the hospital pass.

The tickets were purchased in Toshpulodzoda's name, according to court documents, though it is unclear who helped the escapee.

Just a week before he was granted the 48-hour release from NVMHI, the Circuit Court of Fairfax County had determined Toshpulodzoda was still mentally ill and remained in need of inpatient hospitalization.

A statement released to CBS affiliate station WUSA9 by the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office regarding Toshpulodzoda states:

“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. 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 US, he will be arrested and brought to Virginia.”

The obvious concern from this situation is how state-run facilities have allowed for a temporary release of a mental facility occupant—especially one as violent as Toshpulodzoda.

Stronger restrictions should be implemented regarding mental health facility patients, with the accompaniment of a qualified caretaker.

Virginia law permits such graduated privileges during treatment, though prosecutors had no direct role in approving the July pass.

Prosecutors learned of his departure later and obtained a bench warrant on August 5 to ensure his arrest if he attempts to reenter the United States.