Families of Fairfax County murder victims angered by unescorted releases after insanity pleas

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The families of murder victims in Fairfax County are speaking out after learning that another accused killer was granted permission to walk unescorted in the community.

What we know:

It comes after accused murderer, Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda, escaped the country on a one-way flight out of Dulles Airport after receiving a Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) plea.

FOX 5 has learned that the same physician, Dr. Azure Baron, signed off on unescorted community privileges for two cases.

Safety concerns

What they're saying:

Olivia Setti-Camfiord’s brother killed her father in July 2021. Following an insanity plea, he was committed to the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute—the same facility where Toshpulodzoda was held.

Setti-Camfiord recently learned that her brother was granted permission to leave the institute during the day without an escort, and she shared a Facebook post where he discussed volunteering at a local thrift store.

"Life is better for him after killing my dad than it was when he was living with my dad," Setti-Camfiord said. "And like, he gets to have these outings now after only like three years, four years of being in the mental health institute. And the fact that he gets a hearing every year to see if he gets released, it's just constantly being brought up for me. And there are just other things going on where I fear for my safety, like this is gonna come back on me because I'm the only family member left."

Setti-Camfiord said she received a notification that her brother was eligible for outings, but was given no further details to help protect her safety. 

When she attempted to speak with the prosecutor on her case, her victim advocate informed her that the prosecutor did not care to speak with her because "they're doing what they can."

Handling of insanity pleas

Victims' families are directing their frustration at Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office, arguing that prosecutors accept NGRI pleas without pushing back or taking cases to a jury. Under an NGRI plea, defendants legally admit to the crime but are committed to a mental health facility rather than facing trial or prison time.

Gizan Glyer’s brother, Gret Glyer, founder of the charitable giving platform DonorSee Foundation, was shot to death in his bed in June 2022. Gizan, who now runs the foundation, said she was unaware her brother’s killer could eventually be granted public release until learning about the Toshpulodzoda case.

"Steve [Descano] would like you to believe that he has no culpability in the consequences of these murders being free, but they are entirely due to the root of his actions," Glyer said. "He allows the murderers to get exactly what they want, which is an NGRI plea, where they don't have to go to trial, and there will be no sentence. They don't even have to spend one day in prison for the crime of killing someone, even though they have to legally admit to doing it in order to plead NGRI."

Glyer noted that while she believes her brother's killer is currently in a higher-security facility without release privileges, treatment plans could result in him being moved or granted outings in the future.

"My family is extremely scared for our lives, and not only our lives, but my brother had two young kids under age two when he was murdered," Glyer added. "There is a fear of our lives and also an anger at the system that allowed this to happen."

Under Virginia law, a murder victim's next of kin must officially request notice if a killer is set to be released. However, Glyer stated that victim advocates never informed her family of this requirement, nor were they told that mental health facilities can choose to release individuals despite judicial orders to the contrary.

Dig deeper:

Addressing the prosecution process, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office stated that once its own expert clinician determines a defendant is insane, it becomes functionally impossible to secure a conviction at trial.

FOX 5 DC reached out directly to Descano’s office regarding both cases but has not received a response.

FOX 5 also reached out to Fairfax County to confirm whether Dr. Azure Baron remains employed, but has not yet received confirmation.

Regarding Toshpulodzoda's departure from the United States, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed that Toshpulodzoda, a citizen of Tajikistan previously charged with second-degree murder, entered the U.S. lawfully on December 15, 2009, but violated his terms of admission and lost his status.

An immigration judge ordered Toshpulodzoda removed on June 24. On July 6, he self-departed to Tajikistan in compliance with his final removal order, DHS officials said.

"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.," the DHS spokesperson stated.

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