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Published: 2010-09-27 13:06:00
Updated: 2010-09-27 19:15:33

State wants to withdraw plea in Apex teen's death


Aadil Khan
Aadil Khan
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Prosecutors returned to court Monday to ask a judge to revoke a plea deal of a man charged with murder in an Apex teenager's slaying nearly two years ago.

Aadil Shahid Khan, 19, is one of four people accused of plotting and carrying out the death of Matthew Silliman, who was found dead in the bathroom of an abandoned trailer on Dec. 2, 2008.

Khan, who was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty last month to charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted first-degree murder in exchange for his testimony in the trial of co-defendant Ryan Patrick Hare, 19.

Last week, a jury found Hare guilty of first-degree murder and other charges, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison for the crime.

Khan never testified during the trial.

Wake County prosecutors Jason Waller and Melanie Shekita claim in a Sept. 13 motion to withdraw the plea that, in advance of Hare's trial, Khan was uncooperative, gave inconsistent statements and claimed he couldn't remember events he had previously been able to recall.

"I spent seven hours and seven minutes with him and had so much information – I felt like I was there," Wake County Sheriff's detective Mariah Jarema testified Monday afternoon, recalling an initial interview she did with Khan that resulted in 30 pages of handwritten notes. "Now, we don't know even how Matt got into the bathroom."

Khan's defense attorney, Doug Kingsbery, cross-examined Jarema at length about the series of interviews, pointing out that his client was never showed copies of previous statements and that Khan could not remember specific details about the case because he did not know.

Specifically, Kingsbery questioned Jarema about the location of a Nov. 25, 2008, attempt on Silliman's life. Khan told investigators he wasn't really paying attention to where it was and that he didn't know for sure, Kingsbery said.

Wake sheriff's investigator Ed Bomgren also testified Monday afternoon. He interviewed Khan on Dec. 3, 2008, when he was arrested.

"(His demeanor was) more of everyday business. Things were normal," Bomgren said. "He was assistive and willing to give answers. He wanted to get his story on the record."

Fast forward to nearly two years later on Sept. 10, 2010, when, Bomgren said, Khan didn't remember pieces of his original story to investigators.

"His body language seemed a little more rigid," Bomgren testified. "He was not as forthcoming of his knowledge, as he had been previously."

The hearing will resume at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

During Hare's two-week trial, defense attorney Robert Padovano characterized Khan as a "master manipulator" who talked Hare into the plot to kill Silliman.

An autopsy found Silliman drank wine laced with narcotics, but that his death was the result of suffocation. His mouth had been covered with duct tape and his head covered with a plastic bag. Zip ties were fastened around his wrists, legs and neck.

Khan, witnesses testified, put the duct tape on Silliman's mouth.

Padovano told jurors in his closing argument Thursday that Hare went along with a plan to help Silliman in carrying out suicide. Padovano contended Silliman had reached a point where he no longer was “willing to battle his demons.”

Waller said Hare sought revenge and plotted Silliman’s death because he had kissed Hare’s girlfriend, Allegra Rose Dahlquist.

Dahlquist, 19, testified that she went along with the plan to kill Silliman because she wanted to win back Hare’s trust.

She pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder as part of a plea arrangement. She has not been sentenced.

Drew Logan Shaw, 18, was also charged with murder. He did not accept a plea arrangement that he was offered by prosecutors and has not yet faced trial.

Keith Acree, director of public affairs for the North Carolina Department of Correction, said Hare was admitted Friday at Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, the facility where all male felons, ages 19 to 25, are admitted into the state prison system.

Hare will likely remain there for four to six weeks before being transferred to another prison, Acree said.


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Please be aware that these four can not get the death penalty, for they were all under 18 at the time of the crime. You may not agree with it, but it is a law. The only thing that writing it here does is bring up controversy and arguments. mshood7, Aadil's parents are Muslim, but he is not. Matthew Silliman was not Jewish. Please don't make assumptions about this case, because no one can actually know what they were thinking.

Praying the mailman looses the letter to the Sillimans. What a cruel thing to do to this family, shame on you Prayn.

Why do I keep hearing the word God when this is a matter of the law? These murders earned consequences as set forth under our government's legal system. Case closed. Life in prison for Hare as prescribed by law & the guilty verdict by his peers. Khan and Allegra signed a plea deal of upwards of 160 years... that to me is life. Case closed. Let Matt's family have closure & heal to the fullness that they can. Let the families of the murders visit their "child" in jail. Go at Xmas if you want to, go on Fri., go on whatever pagan holidays Allegra and her mom celebrate. Your religion & your holidays should be in your personal life not that of the government and the criminal justice system. The word victim is being thrown so loosely around. Yes, do all the families suffer? Yes, They have to live with the fact that their relative doesn't have compassion for human life, that they had an elaborate plot to murder a friend in cold blood. Murders themselves are NOT victims, they are perpetrators.

This is a case for the DEATH PENALTY. Henious crimes like this done by those who manipulted others with their hate for whatever reason, they all are reprehensive and disgusting to the point they deserve the best Justice has to offer. DEATH. What a disgusting pieces of lesss than human behavior. DEATH PENALTY and I hope it's swift.

Khan seems to have been the mastermind of this whole sordid tragedy. Khan who apparently is a "muslim" his mother was seated in the court room and appeared uneasy when the camera focused in on her. Matthew Silliman was a troubled young man (Jewish?). I hope that all will come to light and show that KHAN could have possibly instigated this whole thing. Something very manipulive and sordid was going on here between KAHN AND SILLIMAN!! I am now exploring the possibility of Muslim children who come with their families to this country, and some of which have been raised on a culuture of 'hate" from a very young age. How do they deal with it in our American schools. Do they bring their culutural diffences even some of which are questionable with them. These things need to be asked and if there is prejudice raising its ugly head here, let get to the TRUTH. Our youth deserve answers!!

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