WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA - FEBRUARY 24: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers the Democratic response to U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on February 24, 2026 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Spanberger is serving in her first yea …
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is promising changes after an accused killer fled the U.S. while on unsupervised release from a Fairfax County mental health facility.
What we know:
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was accused of killing his landlord in 2019. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in 2020.
However, Toshpulodzoda was given a 48-hour pass under a Virginia law that allows mental health hospitals to grant individuals permission to leave without an escort for a day or weekend.
In 2024, Toshpulodzoda left the facility and traveled to Washington, D.C. to get a passport, according to court documents. The move was supported by the Commonwealth’s attorney.
On July 6, while out on a weekend pass, Toshpulodzoda went to Dulles Airport and boarded a one-way flight to Tajikistan.
READ MORE | Accused murderer boards flight out of U.S. on weekend pass from Virginia mental health facility
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed to FOX 5 that Toshpulodzoda self-deported after entering the U.S. legally in 2009 and violating the terms of his admission. DHS said an immigration judge ordered Toshpulodzoda’s removal on June 24, and on July 6, he left for his home country.
Governor reacts
A spokesperson for Gov. Spanberger said she "intends to get to the bottom of how a murderer who has been in custody for inpatient treatment for years — and as has been publicly reported, was denied conditional release as recently as June by a judge — was able to get a passport and flee the country."
"When the state determines that, the Governor will work aggressively to make changes in the system that allowed this to happen," the statement added.
On Aug. 5, one month after Toshpulodzoda left the country, the Commonwealth’s attorney filed a motion asking a judge to issue a warrant enforceable outside of Virginia.
Law enforcement officials and families of Fairfax County murder victims have raised concerns about the law allowing mental health facility passes.
The Fairfax County Police Chief revealed that officers are not informed when individuals are granted the unescorted visits.
"I am completely unaware of any process that exists that involves a notification to the Fairfax County Police Department," Chief Kevin Davis said. "I think the whole scenario runs counter to the intuition that we all have when someone is detained or sent to a hospital for evaluation, in lieu of prosecution and in lieu of incarceration, I think it's reasonable to assume, when those folks are sent to those hospitals and medical facilities, that that's where they stay."
The Source: Information in this report is from the Virginia governor's office and past FOX 5 DC reporting.