Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 50, faces life in prison if convicted of running over his daughter, Noor Almaleki, 20, with his Jeep. Prosecutors allege Almaleki’s action was an “honor killing” because “[t]he investigation into these crimes revealed that the defendant was very angry with Noor for not living by traditional Iraqi values as she had, in his eyes, become too ‘westernized’ and brought dishonor on her family.”
Almaleki moved his family from Iraq to the Phoenix suburb of Glendale in the mid-1990s. According to numerous sources he and his daughter had a tumultuous relationship. At 17, Noor Almaleki refused to enter into an arranged marriage in Iraq, enraging her father, according to a court document filed by prosecutors. At 19, Noor Almaleki moved into her own apartment and began working at a fast food restaurant but quit and left her new place when her parents kept showing up at her work, insisting that she return home. In 2009, she moved into the home of her boyfriend and his parents, Reikan and Amal Khalaf, shortly after showing up at their house and said her parents had hit her. Almaleki regularly harassed his daughter and the Khalafs, once telling Reikan Khalaf that if his daughter didn’t move out of their home, “something bad was going to happen.”
On October 20, 2009, while visiting the Department of Economic Security office with with Amal Khalaf, Noor Almaleki saw her father. She sent text messages to a friend saying “Dude, my dad is here at the welfare office,” ”I’m so shaky,” ”I knew I shouldn’t have woke up,” and “I’ve honestly never met anyone with so much evil.” Upon leaving the office Faleh Almaleki hit the two women with his Jeep.
Amal Khalaf survived. However, Noor Almaleki underwent spinal surgery and spent two weeks in a coma before succumbing to her injuries on November 2, 2009.
Almaleki is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and leaving the scene of a serious injury accident. The case is set to move into the trial phase later this month.