Brothers charged in death of man wrapped in duct tape

Published 1:51 pm Friday, December 14, 2018

TERRYTOWN, La. (AP) — A grand jury has handed up an indictment charging two brothers in the death of a Louisiana man who had been wrapped in duct tape and died of asphyxiation.

Saleh Omar, 40, and Yazan Omar, 18, were charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Mohamed Mezlini.

Mezlini was a former employee of Saleh Omar, who owned a cellphone business in Terrytown. A detective testified Saleh Omar believed Mezlini wronged him in some financial way. Saleh Omar allegedly lured Mezlini to a vacant store and attacked him. Yazan Omar is accused of holding Mezlini while his brother wrapped his head and body with duct tape.

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Mezlini was found unconscious. An autopsy determined he died of asphyxia by strangulation and smothering.

It’s unclear if the brothers have lawyers.