Topline: Authorities say the suspect waited for his children to leave for school before allegedly attacking the victim inside the family home.
Published: January 11, 2026 8:26 am ET
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Asif Qureshi (via Nassau County Police Department)
MINEOLA, NY — Prosecutors say a New York man slipped into his estranged wife’s home after she left to take their children to school, waited until she was alone, and then killed her by forcing her to inhale cyanide in what authorities described as one of the most disturbing domestic homicide cases they have seen.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Asif Qureshi, 53, was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree burglary in connection with the death of 46-year-old Aleena Asif. Qureshi pleaded not guilty before Judge Terence Murphy and was remanded. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 18, 2026. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors allege the killing unfolded during the morning hours of Oct. 17, 2025, inside the family’s home on Larch Drive in Herricks. According to the indictment, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter left the home around 7 a.m. to attend college classes. Roughly 50 minutes later, Asif left with her 14-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter to drop them off at school.
Authorities say that after she left, Qureshi, who did not live in the home and was estranged from his wife, allegedly unlocked the front door and entered the house. Prosecutors said he was dressed in a dark hooded jacket, baseball cap, black gloves and a mask, and was carrying a red-and-white tote bag.
According to the district attorney’s office, Aleena Asif briefly returned home around 8 a.m. with her youngest child, then left again to walk the child to school. She returned to the house just after 9 a.m., at which point prosecutors say she was alone and Qureshi was still hiding inside.
Investigators allege that sometime before 10:50 a.m., Qureshi attacked his wife in her bedroom. Police later found her lying face up on her bed with red facial burns around her mouth. An autopsy conducted by the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Aleena Asif died from asphyxiation due to inhalation of a chemical agent, later identified as cyanide.
“Aleena Asif brought her children to school on October 17th, 2025, unaware of the danger lurking inside of her own home and her estranged husband hiding in the shadows,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “Asif Qureshi allegedly snuck into the house during school drop off, lying in wait, until his wife returned home. When he had her alone, he allegedly held cyanide over her mouth, killed her, and left her body for their children to gruesomely discover.”
“A home should be a place of sanctuary, but this defendant turned it into a house of horrors,” Donnelly added. “Our thoughts are with Aleena’s three children as we prosecute this tragic case.”
Donnelly also described the manner of death during court proceedings, according to WABC.
“Basically, he seared her lungs,” Donnelly said. “She took a breath and the cyanide just burns your lungs.”
Prosecutors say surveillance footage played a key role in the investigation. According to the district attorney’s office, video captured Qureshi unmasked at a 7-Eleven and at a bus stop in Queens near where he was living before and after the killing. Additional footage from Oct. 10, 2025, allegedly shows him locking the electric scooter later used to flee the scene to a telephone pole near the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Denton Avenue, the same location where he retrieved it after leaving the home on the day of the murder.
Authorities say that at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 17, Qureshi exited the home carrying the same tote bag along with a large black duffel bag, walked to the scooter and rode away toward Bellerose.
That afternoon, according to prosecutors, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter received a call from her younger sister’s school stating that her mother never arrived to pick her up. The teenager contacted police, who arrived at the Larch Drive home and found it locked. When officers entered, they discovered Aleena Asif deceased in her bedroom.
A search warrant later executed at Qureshi’s residence recovered black latex gloves similar to those seen in surveillance footage, as well as bags consistent with those he was seen carrying, according to the district attorney’s office. Qureshi was arrested on Oct. 23, 2025, in Bellerose, Queens, by Nassau County police.
WABC reported that prosecutors said Qureshi denied responsibility during questioning.
“His statements were very self-serving,” Donnelly said. “‘Couldn’t be me, you know, I was someplace else.’ That type of thing.”
Defense attorney Stanley Rubin emphasized his client’s presumption of innocence, according to WNBC.
“He will be tried in the courtroom where he’s presumed to be innocent by operation of law,” Rubin said.
Sources cited by WABC said there were prior incidents at the home and allegations that Qureshi had threatened his wife in the past, though no orders of protection were in place. WNBC reported that police had responded to the home for multiple domestic incidents before the killing.
Family members attended the arraignment and watched the proceedings, according to WNBC. Aleena Asif’s brother previously spoke publicly after her death.
“She was a very beautiful human being and very hard-working,” he said. “She didn’t deserve this kind of death.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Brian Rodriguez of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Bureau. Prosecutors stressed that the charges are allegations and that Qureshi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Prosecutors Say Man Hid in Estranged Wife’s Home Before Killing Her With Cyanide
Authorities say the suspect waited for his children to leave for school before allegedly attacking the victim inside the family home.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 11, 2026 8:26 am ET
Asif Qureshi (via Nassau County Police Department)
MINEOLA, NY — Prosecutors say a New York man slipped into his estranged wife’s home after she left to take their children to school, waited until she was alone, and then killed her by forcing her to inhale cyanide in what authorities described as one of the most disturbing domestic homicide cases they have seen.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Asif Qureshi, 53, was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree burglary in connection with the death of 46-year-old Aleena Asif. Qureshi pleaded not guilty before Judge Terence Murphy and was remanded. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 18, 2026. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors allege the killing unfolded during the morning hours of Oct. 17, 2025, inside the family’s home on Larch Drive in Herricks. According to the indictment, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter left the home around 7 a.m. to attend college classes. Roughly 50 minutes later, Asif left with her 14-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter to drop them off at school.
Authorities say that after she left, Qureshi, who did not live in the home and was estranged from his wife, allegedly unlocked the front door and entered the house. Prosecutors said he was dressed in a dark hooded jacket, baseball cap, black gloves and a mask, and was carrying a red-and-white tote bag.
According to the district attorney’s office, Aleena Asif briefly returned home around 8 a.m. with her youngest child, then left again to walk the child to school. She returned to the house just after 9 a.m., at which point prosecutors say she was alone and Qureshi was still hiding inside.
Investigators allege that sometime before 10:50 a.m., Qureshi attacked his wife in her bedroom. Police later found her lying face up on her bed with red facial burns around her mouth. An autopsy conducted by the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Aleena Asif died from asphyxiation due to inhalation of a chemical agent, later identified as cyanide.
“Aleena Asif brought her children to school on October 17th, 2025, unaware of the danger lurking inside of her own home and her estranged husband hiding in the shadows,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “Asif Qureshi allegedly snuck into the house during school drop off, lying in wait, until his wife returned home. When he had her alone, he allegedly held cyanide over her mouth, killed her, and left her body for their children to gruesomely discover.”
“A home should be a place of sanctuary, but this defendant turned it into a house of horrors,” Donnelly added. “Our thoughts are with Aleena’s three children as we prosecute this tragic case.”
Donnelly also described the manner of death during court proceedings, according to WABC.
“Basically, he seared her lungs,” Donnelly said. “She took a breath and the cyanide just burns your lungs.”
Prosecutors say surveillance footage played a key role in the investigation. According to the district attorney’s office, video captured Qureshi unmasked at a 7-Eleven and at a bus stop in Queens near where he was living before and after the killing. Additional footage from Oct. 10, 2025, allegedly shows him locking the electric scooter later used to flee the scene to a telephone pole near the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Denton Avenue, the same location where he retrieved it after leaving the home on the day of the murder.
Authorities say that at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 17, Qureshi exited the home carrying the same tote bag along with a large black duffel bag, walked to the scooter and rode away toward Bellerose.
That afternoon, according to prosecutors, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter received a call from her younger sister’s school stating that her mother never arrived to pick her up. The teenager contacted police, who arrived at the Larch Drive home and found it locked. When officers entered, they discovered Aleena Asif deceased in her bedroom.
A search warrant later executed at Qureshi’s residence recovered black latex gloves similar to those seen in surveillance footage, as well as bags consistent with those he was seen carrying, according to the district attorney’s office. Qureshi was arrested on Oct. 23, 2025, in Bellerose, Queens, by Nassau County police.
WABC reported that prosecutors said Qureshi denied responsibility during questioning.
“His statements were very self-serving,” Donnelly said. “‘Couldn’t be me, you know, I was someplace else.’ That type of thing.”
Defense attorney Stanley Rubin emphasized his client’s presumption of innocence, according to WNBC.
“He will be tried in the courtroom where he’s presumed to be innocent by operation of law,” Rubin said.
Sources cited by WABC said there were prior incidents at the home and allegations that Qureshi had threatened his wife in the past, though no orders of protection were in place. WNBC reported that police had responded to the home for multiple domestic incidents before the killing.
Family members attended the arraignment and watched the proceedings, according to WNBC. Aleena Asif’s brother previously spoke publicly after her death.
“She was a very beautiful human being and very hard-working,” he said. “She didn’t deserve this kind of death.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Brian Rodriguez of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Bureau. Prosecutors stressed that the charges are allegations and that Qureshi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Latest Articles
Prosecutors Say Man Hid in Estranged Wife’s Home Before Killing Her With Cyanide
Authorities say the suspect waited for his children to leave for school before allegedly attacking the victim inside the family home.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 11, 2026 8:26 am ET
Asif Qureshi (via Nassau County Police Department)
MINEOLA, NY — Prosecutors say a New York man slipped into his estranged wife’s home after she left to take their children to school, waited until she was alone, and then killed her by forcing her to inhale cyanide in what authorities described as one of the most disturbing domestic homicide cases they have seen.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Asif Qureshi, 53, was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree burglary in connection with the death of 46-year-old Aleena Asif. Qureshi pleaded not guilty before Judge Terence Murphy and was remanded. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 18, 2026. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors allege the killing unfolded during the morning hours of Oct. 17, 2025, inside the family’s home on Larch Drive in Herricks. According to the indictment, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter left the home around 7 a.m. to attend college classes. Roughly 50 minutes later, Asif left with her 14-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter to drop them off at school.
Authorities say that after she left, Qureshi, who did not live in the home and was estranged from his wife, allegedly unlocked the front door and entered the house. Prosecutors said he was dressed in a dark hooded jacket, baseball cap, black gloves and a mask, and was carrying a red-and-white tote bag.
According to the district attorney’s office, Aleena Asif briefly returned home around 8 a.m. with her youngest child, then left again to walk the child to school. She returned to the house just after 9 a.m., at which point prosecutors say she was alone and Qureshi was still hiding inside.
Investigators allege that sometime before 10:50 a.m., Qureshi attacked his wife in her bedroom. Police later found her lying face up on her bed with red facial burns around her mouth. An autopsy conducted by the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Aleena Asif died from asphyxiation due to inhalation of a chemical agent, later identified as cyanide.
“Aleena Asif brought her children to school on October 17th, 2025, unaware of the danger lurking inside of her own home and her estranged husband hiding in the shadows,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “Asif Qureshi allegedly snuck into the house during school drop off, lying in wait, until his wife returned home. When he had her alone, he allegedly held cyanide over her mouth, killed her, and left her body for their children to gruesomely discover.”
“A home should be a place of sanctuary, but this defendant turned it into a house of horrors,” Donnelly added. “Our thoughts are with Aleena’s three children as we prosecute this tragic case.”
Donnelly also described the manner of death during court proceedings, according to WABC.
“Basically, he seared her lungs,” Donnelly said. “She took a breath and the cyanide just burns your lungs.”
Prosecutors say surveillance footage played a key role in the investigation. According to the district attorney’s office, video captured Qureshi unmasked at a 7-Eleven and at a bus stop in Queens near where he was living before and after the killing. Additional footage from Oct. 10, 2025, allegedly shows him locking the electric scooter later used to flee the scene to a telephone pole near the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Denton Avenue, the same location where he retrieved it after leaving the home on the day of the murder.
Authorities say that at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 17, Qureshi exited the home carrying the same tote bag along with a large black duffel bag, walked to the scooter and rode away toward Bellerose.
That afternoon, according to prosecutors, Aleena Asif’s 18-year-old daughter received a call from her younger sister’s school stating that her mother never arrived to pick her up. The teenager contacted police, who arrived at the Larch Drive home and found it locked. When officers entered, they discovered Aleena Asif deceased in her bedroom.
A search warrant later executed at Qureshi’s residence recovered black latex gloves similar to those seen in surveillance footage, as well as bags consistent with those he was seen carrying, according to the district attorney’s office. Qureshi was arrested on Oct. 23, 2025, in Bellerose, Queens, by Nassau County police.
WABC reported that prosecutors said Qureshi denied responsibility during questioning.
“His statements were very self-serving,” Donnelly said. “‘Couldn’t be me, you know, I was someplace else.’ That type of thing.”
Defense attorney Stanley Rubin emphasized his client’s presumption of innocence, according to WNBC.
“He will be tried in the courtroom where he’s presumed to be innocent by operation of law,” Rubin said.
Sources cited by WABC said there were prior incidents at the home and allegations that Qureshi had threatened his wife in the past, though no orders of protection were in place. WNBC reported that police had responded to the home for multiple domestic incidents before the killing.
Family members attended the arraignment and watched the proceedings, according to WNBC. Aleena Asif’s brother previously spoke publicly after her death.
“She was a very beautiful human being and very hard-working,” he said. “She didn’t deserve this kind of death.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Brian Rodriguez of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Bureau. Prosecutors stressed that the charges are allegations and that Qureshi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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