A judge found probable cause that Malik Bilal stabbed Alonzo Beasley to death on July 6 after Beasley got too close to Bilal’s truck.
Assistant U.S Attorney George Pace argued Bilal’s actions were completely unprovoked, and requested Bilal remain in custody. Judge Jennifer Anderson agreed and ordered Bilal held until his next hearing.
Four witnesses saw the stabbing, although only one saw a knife, Detective Hosam Nasr testified Monday. The other witnesses simply thought the attacker was punching Beasley.
Defense attorney Gabriel Diaz argued that because only one witness identified Bilal by photograph, and the other witnesses thought the altercation was a fist fight, it should be difficult to find probable cause.
In addition, one witness said the assailant was 5-foot-10, significantly shorter than Bilal’s actual height of 6-foot-3, and another selected a photo other than Bilal’s from a photo array when police asked the witness to identify the attacker, Diaz said.
Two other witnesses only identified the attacker as “Mo,” a nickname police say refers to Bilal.
Nasr testified that police found possible bloodstains on the basement wall of a house connected to Bilal and in a truck Bilal owned, but were unable to find a knife at the crime scene that could be connected to the stabbing. Nasr said he could not remember if police found a knife at the house with the possible bloodstains.
In court Monday, Nasr said that Bilal tried to solicit a fellow inmate to kill one of the witnesses in the case, and Pace added during the hearing he was worried about the witness’ safety.
Judge Anderson called this a “troubling fact,” but said she had not seen enough information regarding the accusation to take it into consideration.
Bilal is scheduled for a felony status conference on October 10 at 10 a.m. before Judge John Ramsey Johnson.
