Murder of Tina Isa

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Palestina Zein "Tina" Isa
St. Louis, Missouri, US
Resting placeSacred Heart Cemetery
Florissant, Missouri
EducationRoosevelt High School
Occupation(s)Student at Roosevelt High School, part-time fast food worker
Known forBeing the victim of an honor killing in St. Louis

Palestina Zein "Tina" Isa (December 3, 1972 – November 6, 1989) was an American teenage girl murdered in an

first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Zein Isa died of diabetes before he could be executed. Maria Isa was later resentenced to life imprisonment
and died in prison.

Background

Zein Isa
Born
Zein al-Abdeen Hassan Isa

(1931-06-03)June 3, 1931
Death
Details
VictimsTina Isa
DateNovember 6, 1989
Location(s)St. Louis
WeaponBoning knife
Maria Isa
Born
Maria Matias

(1943-08-10)August 10, 1943
Death (later Life imprisonment
)

Palestina Zein Isa, named after

Amerindian descent.[5] She learned Arabic and Portuguese from her parents and Spanish during her time living in Puerto Rico.[6]

Zein al-Abdeen Hassan Isa,

double first cousin.[9] In the 1950s, Zein left Palestine,[10] emigrating with members of neighboring families.[8] He first lived in the south of Brazil and, while on a business trip to Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, met Maria Matias (born August 10, 1943), a native of Mato Grosso who had been born in Santa Catarina. She was of German, Italian, and Native Brazilian descent.[11]

On February 6, 1963, the two married despite the opposition of Maria's parents.[12] Zein did not reveal to Maria that she was his second wife until after they had married.[13] They moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in fall 1963, then to Paterson, New Jersey; Arecibo, Puerto Rico; back to Rondonópolis; then to Cáceres, Mato Grosso.[14] Tina was born in Mato Grosso.[2] The family moved back to Puerto Rico, living in Arecibo until moving to Isabela one year later. During this time, the father, without the mother, lived with his children in the West Bank for periods of time.[15]

In 1980, Zein became a

learning English after arriving in St. Louis,[4] where her friends gave her the nickname "Tina".[19] In 1991, Tim Bryant of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in regards to the parents, "Neither speaks English well."[16]

Tina's relationship with her father deteriorated after she turned 14; in earlier years they had enjoyed a closer relationship.

African-American
, Cliff Walker, Tina's parents grew even angrier. [22] Zein Isa held grudges against African-Americans because he believed Palestinian businesspeople had been targeted by black criminals.[23]

Prior to his daughter's murder, Zein made telephone calls stating that Tina had damaged the honor of his family and needed to die. On the day of her death, she worked her first day at a

Arab."[24]

Death

Her murder took place at the Delor Park Apartments, in her family's residence.[21] Isa's boyfriend walked her home after the first day of her job. Initially, her parents criticized her for having the outside job and later stated a belief that she was doing something else instead of working. Zein Isa stabbed his daughter with a boning knife. One of her lungs, her liver, and her heart were severely damaged by six blows to her chest. Maria Isa assisted Zein by holding Tina.[22] FBI agents were not at the surveillance unit when the killing happened.[18]

Tina Isa was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Florissant, Missouri, reportedly in a bridal gown. Her Brazilian mother said unmarried girls and women in Brazil who die are buried accordingly. The family intentionally did not provide notice of the funeral to the media to ensure that only people from the family, the local Palestinian community, and people from Beitin attended. They expressly did not want Tina's boyfriend to attend. FBI agents secretly monitored and photographed the proceedings.[25]

Investigation, arrest, and trial

Zein Isa was a member of the

Embassy in Washington, D.C.[26] Harris wrote that "His daughters had long worried about Zein's ANO activities."[27]

A crucial factor in his trial was the fact that the FBI had

audio cassette. This was especially important in confirming the fact that Maria was an active participant in the murder, and that Zein's claim of self-defense against Tina was false.[18] Zein had accused Tina of asking for $5,000 and of grabbing a knife,[29] and Isa's lawyers represented to the jury that Tina had kicked her father in the leg, which they stated had previously sustained injuries, and that she had wielded a meat cleaver as a weapon.[30]

first-degree murder. The jury discussed the circumstances for fewer than four hours before deciding that the suspects committed first-degree murder.[31] On December 20, 1991,[32] the two were sentenced to death by the jury; Circuit Judge Charles A. Shaw stated "Culture is no excuse for murder. I see no reason to deviate from the jury's recommendation."[33]

In April 1993, Zein was indicted by the FBI in connection with his terrorist activities within the Abu Nidal Organization: the federal prosecutors issuing the indictment accused Zein of killing Tina partly because he feared she could expose his ANO activities.[26] The charges were later dropped, as he was already on death row for his daughter's murder.[citation needed]

The case received media coverage in Brazil.

commuted to life imprisonment without parole; she died on April 30, 2014, in a Vandalia, Missouri, prison at the age of 70, from apparent natural causes.[34][35]

Aftermath

As a result of the case, some Palestinian families residing in the U.S. sent their children back to Palestine to avoid them undergoing Americanization.[36]

Cultural references

A book titled

season 8 episode "Honour Thy Father" which aired on July 30, 2005. The case was also featured on an episode of Arrest & Trial
.

See also
  • Honor killings in the United States
    :
  • Noor Almaleki
  • Ali Irsan (killed Gelareh Bagherzadeh and Coty Beavers)
  • Sandeela Kanwal
  • Yaser Abdel Said (killed Amina and Sarah Said)
  • Honor killings of people of Palestinian descent

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Krajicek, David J. (November 10, 2013). "Justice Story: 'Die, my daughter, die!' An old-world 'honor killing' in modern St. Louis". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Harris 2018, p. 42.
  3. ^ a b c Treen, Joe (January 20, 1992). "Die, My Daughter, Die!". People.
  4. ^ a b Harris 2018, p. 80.
  5. ^ Harris 2018, p. 23.
  6. ^ Harris 2018, p. 43.
  7. ^ Harris 2018, p. 18.
  8. ^ a b Harris 2018, p. 32.
  9. ^ Harris 2018, p. 38.
  10. ^ Harris 2018, p. 25.
  11. ^ Harris 2018, p. 34.
  12. ^ Harris 2018, p. 36.
  13. ^ Harris 2018, p. 37.
  14. ^ Harris 2018, p. 41.
  15. ^ Harris 2018, p. 46.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Bryant, Tim (December 20, 1991). "From 1991: Parents get death in teen's murder". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  17. ^ Harris 2018, pp. 46–7.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Terror and Death at Home Are Caught in F.B.I. Tape". The New York Times. October 28, 1991. Retrieved December 3, 2019. The surveillance unit was not staffed [...] could have intervened to prevent the killing.
  19. ^ Harris 2018, p. 84.
  20. ^ Harris 2018, p. 100.
  21. ^ a b Bryan, Bill (November 7, 1989). "Nov. 7, 1989: Girl, 16, slain by father who tells police 'she came at me'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  22. ^ a b c VandeWater, Judith; Bryant, Tim (October 23, 1991). "From 1991: FBI tapes implicate father in daughter's death". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Harris 2018, p. 83.
  24. ^ Harris 2018, p. 98.
  25. ^ Harris 2018, p. 196.
  26. ^ a b Worthington, Rogers (June 13, 1993). "A FAMILY TRAGEDY OR TERRORISTS' SCHEME?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  27. ^ Harris 2018, p. 95.
  28. ^ Harris 2018, p. 26.
  29. ^ "Muslim Couple Sentenced to Die for Killing Daughter". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 20, 1991. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  30. ^ "Parents Convicted in Taped Killing of Girl". Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1993. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  31. ^ Bryant, Tim (October 26, 1991). "From 1991: Parents guilty in murder of daughter". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  32. ^ "Missouri Couple Sentenced to Die In Murder of Their Daughter, 16". The New York Times. December 20, 1991.
  33. ^ "Parents Sentenced to Death in Killing of Daughter". Associated Press. December 19, 1991. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  34. ^ "Woman convicted of killing her daughter dies in prison". FOX2now.com. KTVI. April 30, 2014. - The article mistakenly states "Vandalia, Missouri".
  35. The Associated Press. April 30, 2014. The Missouri Department of Corrections said Maria Isa, 70, died early Wednesday at a prison in Vandalia. - Variant article: "Woman serving life dies in prison" (May 1, 2014) at the Columbia Daily Tribune
    ; accessed June 13, 2020.
  36. ^ Harris 2018, p. 198.
  37. ^ Harris 2018, p. 29.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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