State Will Seek Death Penalty in Killing of Muslim Students in Chapel Hill

Craig Stephen Hicks. Photo: Chapel Hill Police

Prosecutors announced on Monday that they will seek the death penalty for Craig Stephen Hicks, who has reportedly confessed to murdering his neighbor Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha; her husband, Deah Shaddy Barakat; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, last month in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Local and federal investigators have not ruled out religious bias as a motive for the crimes, though some believe the shooting was motivated by a parking dispute. WRAL reports that new search warrants reveal Hicks kept photos and detailed notes on the parking situation in his apartment complex.

DA Seeks Death Penalty in Muslim Student Murders