Crime & Safety

Mourners Light Candles on Eve of Khan's Arraignment

Khalid Khan's brother rises to his defense while Montclair friends and neighbors honor Shazmina's memory

Khalid Khan, 42, of Bloomfield, will be arraigned Wednesday, July 6, for the murder of his estranged wife, Shazmina Khan, 31, of Montclair.  Her body was found in the Montclair apartment she shared with her young daughter, Samara, on Monday July 4, 2011. 

Khalid Kahn’s brother, who also lives in Bloomfield, stated that after Shazmina was discovered dead, he was arrested and questioned by Montclair and Newark police for approximately five hours on Monday.  “They didn’t read me my rights and . . . they were rough in treatment," he said.  He spoke to Patch on Tuesday afternoon on the condition of anonymity.

Kahn’s brother admitted Khalid and Shazmina had a “complicated relationship” but denied that his brother was capable of murder. 

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"I don't believe he'd do that.  He's not violent,” he said.  “Yes, they had domestic issues, but I don't believe that." 

He recalled the couple getting into fights, reuniting, and breaking up again.  

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“She was sweet, very nice, but argumentative,” he said about Shazmina Khan, adding, “but so was he.” 

He also said Shazmina Khan had a restraining order against her husband but claimed that some of the charges were dropped later. 

Katherine Carter, Public Information Officer at the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, refuted the brother’s statement, saying in an email to Patch that Shazmina Khan did not have a restraining order against her husband.  She also stated, “Khalid Khan was previously arrested on simple assault charges but was not convicted.” 

On Tuesday night, Shazmina's downstairs neighbor, Margo Garrett, helped organize a memorial in her honor, the second candlelight vigil in as many nights.  In attendance were friends and neighbors, as well as some members of the Kincade Karate School, where Khan's daughter Samara was studying martial arts. 

Kincade Karate Grand Master Hinton Kinser led the group in prayer.  Some of the mourners cried softly. 

"We light those candles to be a light to that young lady and hold her up . . . This situation, I don't have the words for it to say right now, and we don't understand what happened," he said. "Just give us strength." 

Kinser said Samara started taking karate lessons about five months ago and that the sport helped the little girl "open up" and become less shy. " As you can see, we're like a family.  Her mother said we were making her stronger.”  

Wednesday was the day Samara was supposed to get her white belt in karate. 

"Oh, boy," said Kinser with a sigh. "We were supposed to be tying it on her waist." 

Instead, Wednesday is the day Samara’s father, Khalid Kahn, will be arraigned for the murder of her mother.  The arraignment is scheduled to take place at the Essex County Veterans Courthouse in Newark.

Garrett, who found Khan's body on the morning of the murder, said she is still scared and shocked about what happened.  She expressed concern for Samara, who is now in the custody of DYFS (Department of Youth and Family Services.) 

"Just pray for the little girl and set her straight," Garrett said sadly. 


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