UPDATE: Wahid Kashify Wanted for Murder 1st Degree
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detective Marc Melville has obtained a felony arrest warrant for Wahid Kashify, charging him with Murder 1st Degree. Through the investigation, Detectives developed probable cause for the warrant charging Wahid Kashify with the murder of his wife, 24-year-old Arezu Z. Kashify whose remains were discovered on June 4, 2019, and positively identified by the Spokane County Medical Examiner yesterday.
On the evening of May 30, 2019, a friend of Arezu Z. Kashify reported her as a missing person. She said Arezu had not been seen or heard from since approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 26, 2019.
Also on May 30, 2019, the occasional daycare provider/friend of Wahid Kashify contacted Child Protective Services and reported Wahid left the Kashify children with them just after midnight on May 26, 2019. Wahid had claimed Arezu packed her things on May 24th or 25th and left. Wahid said he needed to go to work and needed someone to watch the children. On May 27th, Wahid stopped in for two short visits and left some childcare items for the children. On May 28th, they contacted Wahid and explained they had children of their own and couldn’t care for Wahid’s as well. Wahid said he or Arezu would pick up the children soon, but neither showed up. Over the next two days, they attempted to contact Arezu and Wahid multiple times but were unsuccessful. They contacted Child Protective Services, who responded and are overseeing the care of the two children.
On May 31, 2019, Major Crimes Detectives with the assistance of Crime Analyst Mark Voigtlaender, learned Wahid boarded an airplane leaving the United States on May 28, 2019, at approximately 1:50 p.m. traveling to Dubai. As Detectives gained additional information, they responded to the Kashify’s apartment located at 33 E. Graves in North Spokane. They contacted the apartment manager and believing someone inside the apartment may be in immediate need of help, exigent entry into the apartment was made. A “sweep” or “walkthrough” of the apartment to look for a person who was hurt or in immediate need of care was conducted, not an actual search. A search of a person’s private residence can only be conducted with a search warrant supported by probable cause, which the Detectives did not have at this point in the investigation. Finding no one in obvious need of assistance, the residence was secured, and a Press Release asking for the public’s help was issued Friday evening.
On June 1, 2019, the Kashify’s 2014 Toyota Sienna was located and seized at the Spokane International Airport. A search warrant was later obtained for the vehicle which was processed for evidence.
On June 4, 2019, after developing probable cause, a search warrant was obtained for the Kashify’s apartment. During the execution of the search warrant, Detectives located the body of a deceased female, later identified by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office as Arezu Kashify, hidden beneath a false bottom of a chest freezer inside the apartment. Detectives and Spokane County Sheriff’s Forensic Unit Crime Scene Specialists processed the scene and recovered evidence.
With the additional evidence and information gained during the investigation, Detective Melville developed probable cause to charge Wahid Kashify with the crime of Murder 1st Degree in the death of his wife Arezu Kashify, and a warrant was issued. Major Crimes Detectives are working with our federal law enforcement partners in an attempt to locate Wahid Kashify. Once he is located, we will continue to work with our federal partners to extradite Wahid Kashify and bring him back to Spokane County for trial.
Tips and information regarding this investigation or information regarding Wahid’s whereabouts can be reported to Detective Marc Melville at 509-477-3325, reference 10072915.