COLUMBUS, Ohio – A 23-year-old man has been found guilty of kidnapping and aggravated robbery in connection with the death of a prominent Columbus imam. This verdict comes after his third trial for charges relating to the December 2021 incident that resulted in the death of 48-year-old Mohamed Hassan Adam. The imam, a well-respected figure in the Somali community, was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds two days after he went missing.
Isaiah Brown-Miller, the convicted individual, is the second person to face legal consequences in the case. His co-defendant was earlier convicted of murder, in what authorities described as a botched robbery attempt. The men allegedly sought money, including funds from the mosque where the imam served, and certain individuals associated with the case have raised issues with the prosecution’s handling of the case.
Following almost 14 hours of deliberation over two days and two instances of reporting an impasse, the jurors reached a guilty verdict. The defendant’s bail has been revoked, and he awaits sentencing. Previous trials earlier in the year had ended in mistrials due to jurors’ inability to reach a verdict.
The defense attorney for Brown-Miller had sought to dismiss the charges, stating that it was unlikely for any jury to convict his client. He pointed to alternative suspects and criticized the prosecution’s inability to establish his client’s involvement in the crime. In a separate trial, the defendant’s codefendant was convicted of aggravated murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. His legal team argued that the prosecution’s case was built on assumptions and that the police had failed to exhaust all leads in their investigation.
The incident has deeply affected the Somali community and raised concerns about safety and security. The conviction of the second individual brings some closure to a tragic event that shook the local community, but questions remain about the circumstances surrounding the imam’s death. As the case continues to unfold, both the prosecution and the defense are grappling with the implications of the verdicts in relation to the quest for justice and closure for the victim’s loved ones.