News Track: From Iowa City to Jordan and back, attempted murder case nears trial

IOWA CITY — An Iowa City man’s robbery and attempted murder case has had many twists and turns over the last three years — including an international manhunt, convictions for his parents and an extradition process.

The long-awaited trial for Ali Younes, 21, seemed to be on track to start April 1, after two delays in 2024. But scheduling conflicts for the prosecution and defense have resulted in another continuance.

A judge, according to a pretrial document, said this may be the last continuance granted “absent a showing of exceptional circumstances.” The trial now is set for July 8 in Johnson County District Court.

The unusual events in this case started in 2023, about a year after Ali, then 19, was charged with attempted murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree theft in an incident on the University of Iowa campus.

Background

On April 25, 2022, according to a criminal complaint, Younes followed a woman on foot, tackling her near the UI Art Building West, and choked her until she lost consciousness. He then stole her earrings valued at $20,000, the complaint alleged.

A video showed Younes that night walking in the opposite direction from the woman on the Iowa Memorial Union footbridge, the complaint stated. He then turned around and jogged to catch up to her as she headed toward the Art Building West.

He grabbed her from behind and tackled her to the ground, according to the complaint. He rolled her over and choked her until she passed out, then forcibly took her earrings.

Witnesses interrupted the suspect as he was standing over the unconscious woman. He told the witnesses she was walking and must have passed out. He said he was going to call police but then fled, the complaint stated.

The woman was taken to University of Iowa Health Care after UI police arrived, and she was able to give a description of her attacker. Police tracked down Younes at his girlfriend’s house, and police obtained a search warrant and found the earrings. He was arrested and admitted to stealing them because he believed the woman was dead, the complaint stated.

In June 2022, a judge reduced bail for Younes, lowering it from $350,000 to $125,000 with several conditions for his release from jail — including wearing an ankle monitor and being under home confinement with his parents in Northwest Iowa pending trial.

Younes missed a May 5, 2023, pretrial hearing and cut off his GPS ankle monitor the next day, according to investigators. On May 6, 2023, the Iowa State Patrol obtained a search warrant for his parent’s home in Sutherland, and UI police found the ankle monitor in the kitchen and SIM cards missing from his phones, court documents stated.

Younes didn’t have a U.S.-issued passport because he was required to surrender it, as part of his bail requirements. But he used a Jordanian passport to board a flight May 6, 2023, from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith and law enforcement officials said at the time.

On May 8 that year, federal investigators received information that showed Younes paid cash for his ticket and sat next to his grandmother on the overseas flight.

What’s happened since

Federal and international law enforcement started a manhunt for Younes. He remained a fugitive for over a year.

After he fled, his father, Alfred Younes, then 49, was arrested May 9, 2023, by the Omaha Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Omaha Airport Authority while he was attempting to board a flight there, according to court documents. He was headed to Amman, Jordan.

Lima Khairi Mohammad Younes, then 45, also was arrested May 9, 2023, by UI police on a warrant with the assistance of the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.

Both were charged with escape from custody-felon. Each were accused of aiding and abetting their son to intentionally escape the house arrest.

According to evidence at Lima Younes’ trial, she and her husband misled authorities on the whereabouts of their son while helping him escape. Among other activities to conceal their and his whereabouts, they sold one of their vehicles for $20,000 and then rented a Chrysler Pacifica to take him to O’Hare so he could fly to Jordan.

Lima Younes was convicted by a jury and Alfred Younes pleaded guilty to the escape from custody and were each sentenced to up to five years in prison.

The Iowa Board of parole in 2024 gave each early parole — Alfred serving more than five months and Lima serving over seven months.

Voluntary return

The United States has no extradition agreement with Jordan, but Ali Younes voluntarily returned to the country Aug. 27, 2024, and was taken into custody in Chicago. He went through a “self-surrender process” made possible by UI police and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, UI police said.

UI police officials said the department established and maintained an open line of communication with Younes following his arrival in Jordan and successfully facilitated his voluntary return with assistance from the U.S. Embassy.

Younes, who arrived back in Iowa in early September 2024, was then charged with an additional count of escape from custody by a felon, a Class D felony. A judge continued his previous $500,000 bail and added a $100,000 bail for the escape charge. He was ordered to surrender all his passports — both from the United States and from Jordan.

Parents forfeit money

On Sept. 5, 2024, a judge ordered Alfred and Lima Younes to forfeit more than $11,000 in their bank account because it was used in the crime.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Liz Dupuich, in her ruling, said evidence presented by the prosecution during a hearing showed the $11,474 in seized funds from the couple was used in the escape.

Besides selling their vehicle, Dupuich found, the parents accumulated cash to “further their conspiracy” to move their son to Jordan. According to court documents, the prosecution asked the court to return $25,969 to one loan company and $40,238 to another loan company.

The $11,474 left of money seized was set for this forfeiture hearing.

Alfred Younes appealed his conviction, but the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld it in November 2024. Ali Younes will stand trial July 8.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com