Ali Irsan was found guilty and convicted Thursday of capital murder in the 2012 killings of his son-in-law, Coty Beavers, and Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a friend of Irsan’s daughter.
The sentencing phase is expected to begin Friday.
Lawyers will argue whether Irsan should get the death penalty.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys expect the punishment phase to continue at least another two weeks.
Both the prosecution and defense attorneys say they will call witnesses from as far away as Jordan to testify in the punishment phase of the trial.
He could face life in prison or the death penalty.
“What we will likely see is the state putting on witnesses to show that this defendant deserves the ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime,” said KPRC 2 legal analyst Brian Wice. “This case, in my estimation, has a made for TV movie and a true crime book already in the making. This case touches all of the hot button issues. All of the third rails in the criminal justice system. Religion. Honor. Jealousy. Tragedy.”
Prosecutor Jon Stephenson told jurors Friday morning during opening statements of the punishment phase that the two murders Irsan was convicted of on Thursday were not the first. Stephenson said earlier Irsan also killed another son-in-law who fell in love with one of his other daughters. Stephenson said the daughter went outside the Muslim faith and angered Irsan. Stephenson said Irsan then bragged about the killing. Witnesses also said Irsan defrauded the federal government and even stole from a mosque. On the stand, a volunteer with a mosque in Conroe testified Irsan asked for assistance. He said the mosque did not get out cash, directly to a family, as assistance. He said Irsan instead claimed his wife was the landlord and the mosque paid money to the wife believing the money was paying for housing.
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