For Immediate Release: March 6, 2025
On March 5, 2025, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney obtained a first-degree murder conviction against the defendant, Rakibul Fakir, a 36-year-old Alexandria resident. The defendant was found guilty by a jury after a four-day trial. On September 25, 2021, the defendant violently stabbed and killed an acquaintance of his, Abiy Zemene, at the BJ’s Wholesale Club located on South Van Dorn Street in the Landmark neighborhood of the City. The homicide was recorded on store video-surveillance. The evidence established that the defendant entered BJ’s with the victim and the two shopped together.
After moving through a checkout line and while in a customer service area, the defendant brutally attacked the victim with a knife that he carried in a backpack. The attack was unprovoked, and the victim was unaware of the attack until after it was in progress. Bystanders fled the store in panic as the attack unfolded. After the attack was completed, several store employees called police and attempted to provide first aid to the victim. The defendant also called police and remained on scene.
Alexandria officers arrived at BJ’s within minutes and took the defendant into custody. Officers then tried valiantly to save the victim; however, the victim succumbed to his injuries and died before he could be transported to a medical facility. Given the overwhelming evidence of guilt, to include the fact that the homicide was caught on video, the defendant elected to pursue the insanity defense, calling several mental health professionals to opine he was criminally insane at the time of the offense. That defense was ultimately rejected by the jury who instead convicted the defendant of first-degree murder. The matter was investigated by Detective Christine Escobar of the Alexandria Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Cathryn F. Evans and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Joseph A. Cahoon.
The sentencing hearing in this matter is currently set for May 22, 2025. The defendant has remained in custody since his arrest. He is currently incarcerated in the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Adult Detention Center awaiting sentencing and his subsequent transfer to the Department of Corrections.