Danish Minhas

Danish Moazzam Minhas (born August 25, 1992) is an American criminal perpetrator of murder-for-hire who orchestrated the murder of his mother, Tabassum Khan, in 2009 by hiring his high school classmate, Nur Mohamed, to carry out the contract killing for him.^[1][2] Danish Minhas is now incarcerated (serving 50 years) in Mark Stiles Unit in Texas.

Danish Minhas
Danish Minhas during court proceedings on January 7, 2010
Born	August 25, 1992 (age 32) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Former high school student
Known for	Convicted of murder-for-hire orchestration of death of his mother - matricide
Criminal charge	Murder
Criminal penalty	50 years in prison
Criminal status	Imprisoned in Mark Stiles Unit in Texas

Criminal activities

In November 2009, Danish Moazzam Minhas, then 17 years old, orchestrated the murder of his mother, Tabassum Khan, in Houston, Texas. Minhas hired his classmate, 18-year-old Nur Mohamed, to carry out the killing, offering him $4,000 for the act.^[2] Mohamed entered Khan's apartment and stabbed her 48 times, leaving behind forensic evidence that led to his arrest.

Nur Mohamed

Investigators determined that Minhas had planned the murder to escape his mother's strict parenting and gain financial independence.^[1] He was described as a high-achieving student at Lee High School, serving as class president and maintaining honor roll status, but reportedly resented his mother's control over his social life and career ambitions.^[3]

Minhas pleaded guilty to murder in 2014 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Mohamed also pleaded guilty and received a 40-year sentence in exchange for testifying against Minhas.^[4]

Legal proceedings

Both Danish Minhas and Nur Mohamed were charged with capital murder in connection with the 2009 killing of Minhas's mother, Tabassum Khan.^[1] Mohamed pleaded guilty and received a 40-year sentence in exchange for testifying against Minhas.^[5] Minhas pleaded guilty in 2014 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.^[2]

Evidence and testimony

Mohamed testified that Minhas had orchestrated the murder and paid him $4,000 to carry it out. Other students reportedly knew of the plot but did not report it.^[1] Another student, Kevin Haney, was charged with tampering with evidence after accepting bloody money and helping destroy clothing related to the crime.^[6]

Kevin Haney

Media coverage and public reaction

The case received widespread media coverage due to its shocking nature and the young ages of those involved—Minhas was 17, Mohamed was 18, and Haney was 17 at the time.^[7] The story was featured in CBS News, the Houston Chronicle, and Crime Watch Daily.^[3]

Prison interviews

From prison, Danish Minhas gave interviews including one with Crime Watch Daily, where he expressed remorse and claimed he had confessed to a crime he didn't commit.^[3] He described his mother as "the perfect mom" and denied involvement despite his guilty plea.^[2]