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from both sides. Their middle daughter, Sara, testified in the penalty phase of the trial, that during one argument, Syriani chased Teresa with a pair of scissors. In another instance, Teresa claimed that
Syriani back-handed her while they were in the car and one time threw her down the stairs by her
467:
John ran from the car and summoned help from his older sister, Rose. He then went to a friend's house and on returning, they found
Syriani still in the car and still stabbing Teresa. She was still alive after Syriani stopped his attack, got into his van and left. He drove to a nearby fire station to
573:
I want to thank God first for everything that happened in my life. I want to thank my children. I want to thank my family, especially my sister, Odeet. I want to thank all the beautiful friends who share with me my sufferings for 15 years and four months and they so encouraged me, specifically Mr.
459:
In 1990, Teresa had filed to divorce
Syriani and received a protective order from a North Carolina court, requiring that Syriani move out of their home and stay away from her and their four children. Around 11:20 p.m., on 28 July 1990, Syriani drove to Teresa's house and found that Teresa was
506:
Syriani testified that his wife had hit him almost every day in front of their children and had called the police about him several times. He did admit to hitting her three or four times during their first five years of marriage. The children contradicted him, saying that the marriage was full of
478:
Syriani gave a different version of events, testifying at his trial that he did not block Teresa's path, nor did he intend to hurt or kill her that night. He said that she scratched at his face when he approached the car, and then slammed the car door open onto his leg. He claims to only remember
427:
for nine years. After his military service, he left and worked as a machinist for a company in Jordan, as well as for a radio station, singing in Arabic. In the mid-1970s, he decided that he had become financially able to marry. He met Teresa through a mutual friend. She had emigrated to the
558:. None of his children witnessed the execution, though they did meet him the previous day, leaving at about 11 p.m.. Despite this, two of Syriani's friends, detectives who worked on his case, and media reporters were present as witnesses. After Syriani was wheeled into the
460:
vacant, he then waited in her driveway. When she returned from work, he blocked her access with his van. After getting out of his van, he went over to her car, where through an open window, he stabbed Teresa 28 times with a
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receive medical attention for cuts and scratches. A fireman later testified in court that
Syriani told him that Teresa had assaulted him. The police arrived shortly afterwards and arrested him.
471:
Teresa survived for 28 days before succumbing to a 3-inch (8-cm) deep wound in her brain. One neighbour who saw her in the car said that it looked like she had been shot in the face with
411:, causing him to have a mental breakdown and become unstable, as well as later developing cancer. This forced Syriani, the eldest son, to leave school and go to work. The family moved to
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519:, arguing that his trial counsel was ineffective and denied him a fair trial. He expressed that he was under fear of losing his children during the crime, claiming a diagnosis of
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and Mrs. Meg
Eggleston who become a sister to me. She helped me a lot to accept everything. I thank everyone from the staff, nurses, chaplains. I thank everyone.
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from psychologists. He also gave evidence of his good behavior while incarcerated. His children said they had forgiven their father and asked that his sentence be
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Superior Court, with the jury finding as an aggravating factor the crime being especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel. This outweighed the eight
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and they exchanged letters and photographs for about three months. She returned to Jordan only two or three weeks before the wedding.
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At 67, he was one of the oldest people executed in the United States since 1976 and was the 997th person executed since the
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line at 2 a.m.. Syriani was pronounced dead at 2:12 a.m., after being injected by three unidentified executioners.
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striking her three or four times with the screwdriver. The screwdriver that
Syriani had used was also never found.
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was denied in
October 2005 and the execution date was subsequently set for 18 November 2005.
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family. When he was 12, his father was imprisoned by the at-the-time new nation of
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hair. John said that another time, his father threatened Teresa with a bat.
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353:(7 January 1938 – 18 November 2005) was a Palestinian immigrant to the
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An appeal for clemency was denied by the at-the-time North
Carolinian
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At 67, he was one of the oldest people executed in the United States
930:"ELIAS SYRIANI WAS EXECUTED ON NOVEMBER 18, 2005 IN NORTH CAROLINA"
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after her death. On 12 June 1991 he was sentenced to death at the
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on 17 November 2005, a day before
Syriani's scheduled execution.
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18:
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They then moved to the United States together, living in
823:"On My Mind: What The Death Penalty Does To The Living"
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People executed by North
Carolina by lethal injection
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United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
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List of people executed in the United States in 2005
361:, and a convicted murderer, who was executed by the
550:On 18 November 2005, Syriani was to be executed by
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489:assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
487:Before Teresa's death, Syriani was charged with
270:Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
987:National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
793:National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
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1056:People convicted of murder by North Carolina
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1086:Palestinian emigrants to the United States
1036:21st-century executions of American people
1009:"Syriani executed for 1990 murder of wife"
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80:
1041:21st-century executions by North Carolina
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634:List of people executed in North Carolina
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
16:Palestinian-American murderer (1938–2005)
1101:Palestinian prisoners sentenced to death
1066:Palestinian Oriental Orthodox Christians
32:This article includes a list of general
1003:North Carolina Department of Correction
729:North Carolina Department of Correction
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629:Capital punishment in the United States
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1071:American people of Palestinian descent
1011:. Associated Press. November 18, 2005.
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194:Soldier (former), machinist and singer
963:The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney
788:"Do Not Execute Elias Hanna Syriani!"
7:
903:Thompson, Estes (18 November 2005).
874:Thompson, Estes (17 November 2005).
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624:Capital punishment in North Carolina
562:on a gurney, he was hooked up to an
396:, which at the time was part of the
1046:American people executed for murder
905:"State executes convicted murderer"
849:"Executions of 3 inmates scheduled"
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1096:Palestinian people executed abroad
724:"North Carolina DPS Inmate Search"
529:Supreme Court of the United States
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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569:In his final statement, he said:
515:Syriani petitioned for a writ of
876:"Clemency is denied for Syriani"
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1081:Palestinian emigrants to Jordan
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491:. This charge was changed to
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1061:Jordanian military personnel
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398:British Mandate of Palestine
1091:Executed Palestinian people
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969:Unpublished decision (PDF)
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501:mitigating circumstances
751:"Benetton - killer ads"
53:more precise citations.
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503:that they also found.
421:Jordanian Armed Forces
317:Jordanian Armed Forces
1076:People from Jerusalem
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332:Years of service
136:, Mandatory Palestine
992:Offender Data Screen
934:The Marshall Project
602:United States portal
392:Syriani was born in
322:Royal Jordanian Army
979:(December 21, 2004)
959:Elias Hanna Syriani
761:on 24 November 2005
673:Ilyās Ḥannā Suryānī
527:. An appeal to the
351:Elias Hanna Syriani
169:Cause of death
120:Elias Hanna Syriani
997:2006-10-18 at the
953:General references
936:. 9 September 2015
800:on 3 February 2007
497:Mecklenburg County
388:Youth and marriage
110:mugshot of Syriani
855:. 14 October 2005
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509:domestic violence
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1031:2005 deaths
1026:1938 births
540:Mike Easley
462:screwdriver
402:Palestinian
357:, a former
186:Palestinian
183:Nationality
51:introducing
1020:Categories
914:11 October
710:References
584:decision.
423:under the
382:since 1976
363:U.S. state
301:Allegiance
126:1938-01-07
34:references
985:from the
909:Star-News
880:Star-News
853:Star-News
694:romanized
667:romanized
546:Execution
445:Charlotte
400:, into a
394:Jerusalem
375:Charlotte
207:Spouse(s)
173:Execution
134:Jerusalem
995:Archived
940:10 April
885:10 April
859:10 April
833:11 April
804:11 April
765:10 April
755:Benetton
735:10 April
588:See also
536:Governor
525:commuted
441:Illinois
309:Service/
224:Children
202:Executed
106:Undated
59:May 2017
696::
669::
437:Chicago
278:Penalty
157:Raleigh
47:improve
983:Report
685:Syriac
658:Arabic
417:Jordan
409:Israel
311:branch
304:Jordan
236:Motive
163:, U.S.
36:, but
1001:from
645:Notes
455:Crime
413:Amman
282:Death
108:NCDAC
971:for
942:2024
916:2007
887:2024
861:2024
835:2024
827:WFAE
806:2024
767:2024
737:2024
521:PTSD
266:1990
252:1991
142:Died
116:Born
554:in
369:by
365:of
175:by
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