Hundreds attend funeral prayer of murdered Pakistani-American doctor in Houston

The funeral prayer for American-Pakistani paediatrician Dr Talat Jahan Khan, who was brutally stabbed to death in her apartment complex in Conroe in the US state of Texas, took place in Houston on Wednesday. 

Hundreds of mourners, including the deceased's husband, son, daughter, and brother, Wajahat Khan, as well as Pakistan's Consul General in Houston Aftab Chaudhary attended the funeral service. 

The emotional service was held at Hamza Mosque in Houston, with tears and grief palpable among the attendees.

The 52-year-old Karachi native lost her life in a horrific stabbing incident in front of her Conroe apartment, and the suspect, 24-year-old Joseph Fridich, was subsequently arrested. 

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailant even checked the victim's pulse after the attack, adding to the shock and horror of the situation. The motive for the crime remains unclear, though there is a prevailing belief that it may have been a hate crime, and there are suspicions of the suspect's mental instability.

Dr Khan had relocated to Houston, residing with her 14-year-old daughter, just two months before this tragedy, while her husband remained in Seattle with their son. She was a 1996 graduate of Sindh Medical College and had been practising as a paediatrician at a renowned children's hospital.

Following the funeral prayer, Dr Khan's brother, Wajahat, described his sister as philanthropic and compassionate person, emphasising the family's desire for justice to prevail.

The body of the deceased will be transported to Seattle, her previous place of residence, reflecting her recent move to Houston to live with her daughter.

Man charged with murder in Texas

On Monday, a man has been charged with first-degree murder after he was involved in the brutal stabbing of an American-Pakistani paediatrician in Conroe, Texas.

Law enforcement officials suspect that Miles Joseph Fridrich, 24, was responsible for the horrific murder that occurred on Saturday at 12:30pm when 52-year-old Dr Talat Jehan Khan was repeatedly stabbed in the common area of her apartment complex, Alys Apartments.

Fridrich's bond was set at $500,000.

According to Khan's family, she had moved to the Alys Apartments on Mansion View Drive in July with her 14-year-old daughter and was working at Texas Children's Pediatrics Conroe, ABC13 reported.

"Everything in her life revolved around those two things, her kids — her son and daughter — and her kids she looked after as a paediatrician," Khan's brother, Wajahat Nyaz, said. Nyaz referred to his sister as a "kind soul."

While many of Khan's neighbours witnessed the attack, including several children, one neighbour who attempted to stop the suspect recalled the incident to Eyewitness News.

Matthew Amador, Khan's neighbour works as a firefighter, said that he grabbed his Katana sword when he realised what was happening and ran after Fridrich, the suspect.

"I said, 'Hey, what are you doing?' And just kind of spooked him," he said. "(It) didn't look like he was there, or was a person, blank face, real dark, you know, evil look in his eyes.

"He had gone and left three times before I even got there, and when I got there, he was checking her pulse to make sure she was alive and then stabbed her three more times," Amador said.

About 17 people walked out of their homes with guns, according to NBC's Click2Houston. Amador said the police quickly showed up.

“I started yelling out the description, tall white guy, purple shirt, tall white guy, purple shirt!” he said.

However, Conroe police caught up to the suspect and took him into custody.

Amador said he had never seen Fridrich before the attack, making the suspect's relationship with Khan, unclear.