FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The sentencing for an Oakland County man who suffocated his mom, threw her out the window of their mansion, and staged it to look like an accident devolved into several shouting matches involving family members and the judge.
Muhammad Altantawi was just 16 years old back in 2017 when he killed his mother. Officials said Nada Huranieh, 35, was found on the ground outside her Farmington Hills home in August 2017.
On Wednesday, Altantawi was sentenced to 35-60 years in prison. He and his father, Bassel Altantawi, tried to paint a picture that made Muhammad Altantawi look like a victim in the case.
“Five years ago, I got arrested for the worst crime imaginable, and I am innocent,” said Muhammad Altantawi, who represented himself in court.
“He’s been wrongfully convicted,” Bassel Altantawi said. “It has impacted me and his sister.”
But his sister, Aya Altantawi, along with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Martha Anderson, didn’t let that pass unopposed.
“He’s referring to you as a victim,” Anderson said, cutting off Bassel Altantawi’s victim impact statement. “You are not the victim here.”
“Get the (expletive) out,” Aya Altantawi said.
She left the courtroom after reacting to some of the comments made by her brother and father. She returned later and interrupted her brother while he spoke about being a victim.
The prosecuting attorney called Muhammad Altantawi a skilled liar practiced in the art of deception.
Aya Altantawi didn’t mince words following the sentencing. She said she tried to be patient and empathetic over the past five years following her mother’s death. But some of the court proceedings Wednesday didn’t sit well.
“He could die today, and I would not go to his funeral,” she said. “I would throw a party instead. I don’t care about him.
“These past five years have been a lot. I’ve tried to sympathize. I’ve tried to be empathetic.”
You can see video from the court proceedings below.
