Kriti Mehrotra
When 35-year-old Nada Huranieh was found dead on the patio of her suburban Farmington Hills home in August 2017, the whole nation was left astounded owing to the severity of the matter. That’s because, as explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Shadow in the Window,’ while the initial belief was that she fell out of a second-floor window, she had actually been thrown out. In fact, her own teenage son Muhammad Altantawi had suffocated her to death with a damp cloth or towel and threw her out before staging the scene to look like a complete accident.
Muhammad Altantawi Was Angry Over His Parents’ Divorce
Born on June 7, 2001, Muhammad is the eldest of three children and the only son of Nada Huranieh and Bassell Altantawi. He was proudly attending International Academy West High School in White Lake Township, Michigan, when everything turned upside down for him. His father was actually court-ordered out of their family home following a Valentine’s Day 2016 domestic violence incident, wherein he had pushed his life partner down a flight of stairs. He later pled guilty to abuse, along with unrelated charges of Medicaid and healthcare fraud for which he had to pay thousands of dollars in fines, but she still filed for divorce in March.
As per records, the fight between Nada and Bassell had stemmed from his concerns that she was “Americanizing” their kids to such an extent they were forgetting their Syrian and Islamic roots. However, no one could have ever imagined their then-16-year-old son would soon begin siding with his father at every step of the way, resulting in there purportedly being a bit of friction at home. But alas, it all culminated in the 35-year-old matriarch being found dead and his teen son immediately being considered a suspect owing to his actions as well as statements to the police.
Muhammad Altantawi Maintains His Innocence to This Day
According to records, while Muhammad did claim their mother had likely fallen from a window, his inconsistent remarks on her allegedly being suicidal and his whereabouts led to suspicion. In fact, his not being able to tell investigators precisely where he was, what he saw, and how he was doing leading up to one of his sisters finding their mother led them to look into him further. That’s when they discovered an incriminating text message from him to his father comprising just a picture of the window she was allegedly thrown out of three weeks before the actual incident.
Yet, arguably, the most incriminating aspect for Muhammad was the surveillance footage from outside that showed shadows as well as lights moving around the house at the time of the ordeal. As per court records, this tape made it appear as if someone had deliberately arranged a ladder and cleaning supplies in front of the window in question to make Nada’s fall look like an accident. Therefore, despite vehemently asserting his innocence, the 16-year-old was arrested for murder in connection to his mother’s demise before being held without bond upon pleading not guilty.
Muhammad Altantawi is Currently Serving His Sentence Behind Bars
Muhammad ultimately did stand trial for the charge against him, with his defense being that Nada’s death was the result of nothing but a freak accident he had absolutely no hand in, only for the jury to deliberate for a few hours before delivering a guilty verdict. Nevertheless, since he was just a minor at the time of the incident, his sentencing guidelines were different owing to the August 2022 US Supreme Court’s “juvie lifer” ruling. As a result, in September, he was handed down 35 to 60 years in prison, with the latter being the maximum he could ever receive owing to his age.
We should mention this verdict came nearly four hours into the sentencing hearing, during which Muhammad actually tried to paint himself as the victim rather than acknowledging he was the perpetrator. Representing himself for this proceeding, he even went as far as to claim the media had portrayed him as a woman-hating Muslim man, which he believes could have very well played a role in his conviction.
It’s also imperative to note that the judge cut Bassell Altantawi’s victim impact statement short after deeming it inappropriate because it was in support of his son and didn’t even pay respect to his late estranged wife. Therefore, today, at the age of 23, Muhammad is serving his time at the mixed-security Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kinross, Michigan, where he is expected to remain until at least he becomes eligible for parole in August 2052. He has since appealed his conviction, yet no decision has been made on that as of writing.
Read More: Aya Altantawi: Where is Nada Huranieh’s Daughter Now?
