A Muslim civil rights group and the family of a Conroe pediatrician stabbed to death in October have called for a federal investigation into the death as a possible hate crime.
The Houston chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations called for the investigation Friday on the one-month anniversary of the Oct. 28 stabbing of Dr. Talat Jehan Khan, 54.
Miles Joseph Fridrich, 24, is accused of attacking Khan as she sat at a picnic bench outside the Alys Apartments in the 15000 block of Mansions View in Conroe. Fridrich remained in the Montgomery County Jail Monday with bail set at $500,000. He is charged with first-degree murder.
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“The circumstances surrounding Dr. Khan’s murder demand a thorough and exhaustive investigation,” said CAIR-Houston Director William White in a release Friday. “It’s been one month, and the family and community deserve answers. Given the horrifying nature of the incident, the lack of an explanation, and the climate we find ourselves in, it is imperative to explore every possible motive.”
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has not released a motive and the incident is still under investigation as prosecutors continue to review evidence, said District Attorney Brett Ligon.
“We are very aware juries often want to know why someone was killed,” Ligon said. “Because of that, we are always looking for a motive.”
Ligon said he has been in close contact with the family during the investigation but declined to release details of those conversations.
Houston attorney John Floyd, who is representing the family, expressed frustration with the investigation by Montgomery County officials.
“In speaking with the family and the community at large, we are disappointed with the pace of this investigation,” Floyd said. “The timing of Dr. Talat Khan’s murder, along with the increased Islamophobia and bigotry sweeping through the country, require answers, and the family has yet to see that from Montgomery County.”
Ligon said there has been no delay as far as the pace of the investigation.
“I would like to remind the community of the swiftness of the Conroe Police Department who had the suspect in custody within the first hour and we had charges within the first 24 hours. The defendant has stayed in custody on a half million dollar bond,” he said.
Prosecutors have 90 days to present a case to a grand jury for indictment, Ligon said. The grand jury meets each Tuesday and Thursday.
A representative for the FBI’s Houston office said the bureau was aware of the case, but declined to comment.
During Fridrich’s Oct. 29 probable cause hearing, Judge Jacqueline Bello requested a mental health evaluation for Fridrich.
According to information from Texas State University, mental health evaluations are ordered when “there is reasonable cause to believe the defendant has a mental illness or is a person with an intellectual disability.”
Houston attorney Lisa Andrews, who is representing Fridrich, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Khan worked at Sea Mar Community Health Centers in Seattle for 15 years before taking the position with Texas Children’s Pediatrics in Conroe earlier this year.
Matt deGrood contributed to this report.
