NJ man guilty of decapitating two men, dumping them in South Jersey woods

A jury has convicted a Jersey City man of fatally shooting two victims, cutting off their heads and hands and burying their remains in the woods of South Jersey.

Yusuf Ibrahim, 31, was found guilty of two counts each of murder, desecrating human remains and other crimes related to the Feb. 5, 2013 murders of Hany Tawadros, 25, and Amgad Konds, 27, according to Acting Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino. The verdict followed a four-week trial in Superior Court in Jersey City.

Ibrahim, however, was found not guilty of felony murder, kidnapping and robbery. In addition, on two robbery counts, authorities say he was found guilty of a lesser charge of theft from a person.

The charges and conviction stem from an incident that too place in the early morning hours of Feb. 5, 2013, authorities said. Prosecutors say Ibrahim shot Tawadros and Konds once each in the chest with a .38-caliber handgun. Evidence showed that the two Egyptian nationals, who had been living in Jersey City, were shot inside Konds’ white Mercedes C280.

Prosecutors say Ibrahim then drove the mens' bodies Buena Vista, in Atlantic County, in the victim's Mercedes. In order to hide their identities, authorities say, Ibrahim cut off their heads and hands using scissors and a small drywall saw. He also knocked out the mens' teeth with a tire iron before stealing their money and jewelry then dumping their remains in a wooded area behind the unoccupied home of a family member.

Ibrahim spent the night at his relative's Buena Vista house then drove the victim's Mercedes to Philadelphia, where he set the car on fire and abandoned it in an attempt to destroy any remaining evidence.

On Feb. 7, police, after receiving reports of suspicious activity at the house where Ibrahim was staying, police obtained permission to search the wooded area behind the home. A State Police cadaver dog followed a trail extending from the backyard to the woods and ultimately found an area of disturbed dirt. The following day, police executed a search warrant to excavate the spot, ultimately unearthing the bodies of Tawadros and Konds.

Through further investigation, the cadaver dogs also detected the victims' heads and hands as well as the tools used in the decapitation, authorities said. Investigators then learned that police in Philadelphia had recovered abandoned Mercedes, which also contained evidence of the brutal murders.

On Feb. 10, 2013, Ibrahim was arrested at a home in Bayonne and transported to Hudson County Jail on more than $3.5 million bail, according to authorities.

During his murder trial, Ibrahim testified about his love for women and smoking marijuana, which he said he thinks should be legalized. When asked by his attorney about women, Ibrahim said he loves the way they “look, smell, the way they move, especially the way they talk.”

Prior to the murder trial, Ibrahim was incarcerated in connection with an armed robbery in Jersey City on Sept. 19, 2012 in which he admitted to shooting a man in the foot, pistol-whipping him and robbing him. He had also previously pleaded guilty to a Dec. 22, 2011 carjacking and sentenced to 18 years in state prison more than 15 years of which involved parole ineligibility.

“The ruthless and grisly manner in which Ibrahim executed his victims and mutilated their bodies revealed an extraordinarily dangerous man,” said Acting Attorney General Porrino.  “With this verdict, we have ensured that he will never again be free to commit such heinous crimes.”

According to authorities, each first-degree murder charge carries consecutive sentences of 30 years without parole to life in state prison. Ibrahim's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.