A man found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 stabbing death of his Vienna landlord boarded a one-way flight to Tajikistan on July 6 after a state mental health facility granted him a 48-hour pass, according to court documents reported by the New York Post.

Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda never returned to the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Falls Church. Instead, he traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport and flew Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, then continued to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to airline records attached to the court filing, as Fox 5 reported.

The pass sent Toshpulodzoda to an apartment through the Fairfax Permanent Supportive Housing Program. He was required to return to the facility by July 8. He did not.

Just one week earlier, on June 29, a Fairfax County judge had found that Toshpulodzoda "remained mentally ill and in need of inpatient hospitalization." On June 11, Judge Stephen Shannon had blocked his permanent release, ordering that he not leave custody without further court approval.

The 2019 killing

In 2019, Toshpulodzoda stabbed his roommate and landlord, Mohammad Hemmatian, to death in their Vienna home. Officers found him covered in blood, and he told police "I am guilty," according to court records. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed in 2022 to state custody, housed at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute.

The passport

Court records show that in 2024, Toshpulodzoda was allowed to travel to Washington, D.C., to obtain a passport, with support from the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.

The office said prosecutors had opposed Toshpulodzoda's release at annual review hearings, including in June 2026.

"We have opposed his release specifically because of community concerns," Laura Birnbaum, chief of staff to Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, told The Daily Wire.

What happens now

After Toshpulodzoda failed to return, the facility placed him on escape status, revoked his pass and issued a facility warrant. Virginia State Police and federal authorities were notified. U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an alert in case he attempts to re-enter the country, and a bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said if Toshpulodzoda enters the United States, he will be arrested and brought to Virginia.

Virginia law allows mental health facilities to grant certain committed patients unaccompanied community visits lasting up to 48 hours. No legislative review or policy change has been announced as of Aug. 18.

The Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute and Vienna Police Department have not publicly commented on the case.