TINLEY PARK, Ill.- The father of a 17-year-old girl was sentenced to death just weeks before she graduated from high school in 2022. Muhammed Almaru, 42, was convicted guilty of the first-degree murder of his daughter Mia Maro in August.
On Monday, he was sentenced to 55 years. The judge ordered him to serve his entire term.
His counsel quickly submitted a motion to decrease his sentence, but the court denied it.
Almaru received credit for the two and a half years he had already served.
Almaru’s sister phoned Tinley Park police on May 1, 2022, to the home in the 7800 block of West 167th Street.
Tinley Park police reported that the 17-year-old had been battered to death in the basement.
Tinley Park Police Chief Matthew Walsh reported that officers discovered Almaru with self-inflicted cuts to his wrists and throat, as well as tablets.
The video in the player above comes from a prior report. Neighbors reported that he was whisked away on a stretcher while other relatives arrived upset. They described a hectic situation with plenty of shouting.
Prosecutors said Maro and her father had a disagreement about her attending prom, and she allegedly smashed her father’s car the week before she died.
Police claimed they discovered a bent metal rod and a rubber mallet reportedly used in Maro’s murder.
Prosecutors also stated that Almaru sent a letter in which he admitted to hitting Mia after realizing she had lied to him.
According to the medical examiner’s office, Maro died as a result of “multiple injuries,” making it a homicide. Her body was discovered on a lower floor of the house.
Maro’s family stated she aspired to be a dental hygienist but planned to attend college close to home so she could care for her mother.