Dr Talat Jehan Khan, 52, was fatally stabbed at a picnic table outside her home in Conroe, Texas on Saturday. The paediatrician was killed by a 24-year-old man who came out of nowhere, reported Fox News.
Dr Khan was stabbed by a man repeatedly at about 12.30 p.m. A witness told KHOU that the mother-of-two was sitting outside chatting on the phone with her dog when the man "came out of nowhere" and attacked her in front of neighbours and children.
Matthew Amador told KPRC heard the sound of children screaming and he rushed outside with his sword and his phone.
"The perpetrator was checking her pulse, which was really bad. I saw him checking her pulse, and then he stabbed her three times. Then as I yelled, 'Hey,' he turned around and looked at me then ran," Amador said. "I've never seen evil like that in my life."
According to police, the suspect, Miles Fridrich, fled on foot and was nabbed minutes later.
"This is an immeasurable loss for our family, completely unexpected," Khan's niece Mahnoor Mangrio told KHOU.
"She's a Muslim, strong in her faith, those are identifiable traits about her. She's extremely loving, and kind. She was my aunt ... the best aunt."
The motive of the murder is not clear. The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Houston said in a statement it is "paying very close attention" to the probe.
"We are unsure at this moment if this was a hate crime, however, given the tragic circumstances, we are paying very close attention to the investigation," the organization said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation while we launch our own investigation and continue established dialogue with law enforcement."
Fridrich, 24, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder.
Dr Khan leaves behind a 14-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old son.
