Plea Deal Resolves Remaining Charges in Killings of Albuquerque Muslim Men

The prosecution of a New Mexico man charged in a string of killings that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim community moved toward a conclusion on Tuesday, even as questions about his motive appeared likely to remain unanswered.

Accused of murdering three men in 2022, the man, Muhammad Syed, was convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year in one of the killings, and on Tuesday morning in an Albuquerque courtroom, he pleaded no contest to second-degree murder charges in the other two deaths.

The three victims were all Muslims, and initially, the killings were feared to be anti-Muslim. But Mr. Syed is also Muslim, and his arrest led to speculation that the killings might have been connected to a sectarian dispute between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

Neither his trial earlier this year nor the plea agreement on Tuesday has shed light on what the motive was. By pleading no contest, Mr. Syed chose to forgo another trial, while neither admitting nor denying guilt.

The first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. The plea agreement on Tuesday will not add to his prison term because the sentences for the second-degree murder convictions will run concurrently with the first sentence.

Sam Bregman, the district attorney of Bernalillo County, for which Albuquerque is the county seat, said, “I’m confident he will never walk out of prison.”