“He refused to accept those divorce papers"
Police said an unemployed software engineer allegedly killed his wife using a “cyanide-like compound” after she demanded a divorce.
Asif Qureshi is accused of murdering Aleena Asif in a brutal attack at her Long Island, New York home on October 17, 2025.
Qureshi was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty.
Nassau County Police Department detective captain Stephen Fitzpatrick said:
“It’s a cyanide-like compound that was used to suffocate her.”
Authorities said Qureshi carefully planned the killing of his estranged wife, who was the mother of his three children.
Police arrived to find Ms Asif unconscious and not breathing. She had severe burns around her face and mouth, according to officials.
Her death was ruled a homicide caused by asphyxiation from an unknown chemical substance.
Detectives said surveillance footage showed Qureshi sneaking into his wife’s home on Larch Drive on October 17.
He was reportedly wearing a hoodie, mask and gloves, and waited for her to return from dropping off their seven-year-old daughter at school.
Once she arrived, Qureshi allegedly suffocated her with the chemical compound.
Ms Asif’s body was discovered at 3:52 pm after her 18-year-old daughter, Aisha, called police when her mother failed to pick up her younger sister from school.
Authorities said Qureshi began stalking his wife after she demanded a divorce on October 9.
Fitzpatrick said: “He refused to accept those divorce papers and started showing up at her house.”
He described Qureshi’s behaviour as “a pattern of stalking” his wife.
The suspect fled the scene on an electric bicycle he had tied to a pole a few blocks from his previous home, police said.
Qureshi was arrested days later in the Bellerose neighbourhood of Queens, New York, where he was renting a room on 248th Street.
Detectives also revealed that Qureshi had a violent history.
Fitzpatrick said: “He threatened to make her swallow bleach.”
According to ABC7, Qureshi had been arrested before in connection with a domestic incident involving Ms Asif.
He reportedly had five prior domestic incidents: four involving his wife and one involving a daughter.
In 2024, Qureshi had agreed to a separation agreement after repeated disputes over money and property.
Ms Asif worked as a certified public accountant, while Qureshi was an unemployed software engineer and originally from Pakistan.
Her public social media profile stated she had studied at Baruch College and was originally from Mumbai, India.
Qureshi is currently being held without bail.
Their children are staying with other relatives.
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