Tinley man convicted in 2012 death of wife
A Tinley Park man faces 20to60years in prison after Will County jurors Thursday found him guilty of murder in the 2012 death of his wife.
Prosecutors argued that Bahaa Sam, 52, beat his wife, Nermeen Sam, to death after an argument in 2012 and left her body inthe couple’s front yard. Sam’s defense attorneys argued during the weeklong trial that Sam suffered mental illness and that he was legally insane at the time of the murder.
After jurors, who rejected the insanity defense, presented their verdict and left the courtroom, Sam turned to prosecutors, his attorneys and family members asking how the verdict finding him guilty of the murderwas fair.
“It’s not fair,” he said. “Discrimination. “This is discrimination because I’m Egyptian.”
Outside the courtroom, Sam’s sister, who declined to give her name, said she was shocked and that her brother was “100 percent sick” and that she had tried to gethimhelp fortwoyears prior to the murder.
“This was a difficult and tragic case which tore apart the Sam family,” defense attorney Neil Patel said. “We are disappointed with the verdict and will begin work on a vigorous appeal.”
Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Tom Slazyk told jurors Sam tried to block his wife from leaving her home Dec. 19, 2012. After she bit him and fought herway past him, he grabbed a weightlifting bar and followed her outside where he repeatedly hit her with the bar and left her body in the front yard. Her body was discovered by a Tinley Park employee.
“Bahaa Sam knew exactly what he was doing when he beat his wife to death on a cold winter day six years ago,” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said in a written statement. “Thanks to a first-rate investigation by Tinley Park police and skilled trial work by my prosecutors, Steve Platek and Tom Slazyk, the jury saw through this cynical attempt by the defendant to deny responsibility for this brutal attack against his defenseless wife.”
Sam’s defense attorneys, Patel and Chuck Bretz, argued Sam suffered mental illness and was legally insane at the time of the murder.
The trial included testimony from three of the couple’s four children, including the couple’s son, whowas 4 at the time of the incident and witnessed his mother’s death. The boy, now 10, told jurors he recalls watching television when his parents started arguing. He told jurors he saw his father run after his mother when she left and hit her with the weightlifting bar.
“She fell,” he told jurors. “And he started hitting her.”
In a videotaped statement to police, Sam admitted to hitting his wife once or twice with the bar and repeatedly asked how she was doing and if he could see his children.
Slazyk told jurors that Sam, who was a teacher in Egypt, was having trouble adjusting to life in a new country. Sam managed a restaurant, but eventually was demoted, lost his job and struggled to find em- ployment. His wife worked and the two argued about his lack of employment the day of her death.
“He couldn’t take it anymore ... her attitude,” Slazyk said during opening arguments. “And he killed her.”
A defense expert told jurors Sam was legally insane at the time of the murder and reviewed medical records showing Sam was being treated for major depressive disorder with psychosis and was prescribed various medications. Doctors also noted that Sam appeared to have hallucinations, according to medical records.
Sam is scheduled to appear in courtMonday.