ARLINGTON, Texas — A Tarrant County jury has sentenced Tareq Alkayyali, 43, to 40 years in prison for the May 2019 murder of his wife, Wasam Moussa. The verdict, delivered Friday in the 396th District Court, adds 17 years to the original sentence Alkayyali received during his first trial in 2021.
The Case Background and Successful Appeal
Alkayyali, a former IHOP manager, was first convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 23 years. However, he successfully appealed that conviction based on a technicality in the jury instructions.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found “egregious harm” because the original instruction omitted a critical phrase: “that causes the death of an individual.” This error theoretically allowed the first jury to convict without a specific finding on causation. While the appeal won Alkayyali a new trial, it ultimately resulted in a much harsher penalty.
Timeline of the Tragedy
The incident occurred just days after Wasam Moussa arrived in Arlington from Jordan to live with Alkayyali.
- May 25, 2019: Moussa arrives in Texas to begin her life with Alkayyali after their 2018 marriage in Jordan.
- May 28, 2019: Alkayyali calls a coworker at 6:29 a.m., crying and confessing he “made a mistake” and had covered his wife’s mouth to stop her from screaming.
- Emergency Response: Following his coworker’s advice, Alkayyali called 911. Arlington Police Department officers found Moussa unresponsive in their apartment in the 2500 block of Park Village Drive.
- Medical Findings: Pathologists from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was asphyxiation.
The Retrial and “Sudden Passion” Defense
During the retrial, the defense argued that Moussa’s death was an accident or that Alkayyali acted under “sudden passion,” which would have capped the sentencing range at 20 years. However, the jury rejected this argument for a second time, opting for a 40-year term…