Palestina Zein "Tina" Isa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1972-12-03)December 3, 1972 |
| Died | November 6, 1989(1989-11-06) (aged 16) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder by stabbing |
| Resting place | Sacred Heart Cemetery Florissant, Missouri |
| Education | Roosevelt High School |
| Occupation(s) | Student at Roosevelt High School, part-time fast food worker |
| Known for | Being the victim of anhonor killing in St. Louis |
Palestina Zein "Tina" Isa (Arabic:فلسطين زين عيسى, December 3, 1972 – November 6, 1989) was a Brazilian-American teenage girl murdered in anhonor killing inSt. Louis, Missouri, by her parents, Zein and Maria Isa.[1] Her death was recorded on audiotape duringFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) surveillance on Zein Isa due to his association with theAbu Nidal Organization (ANO). He and his wife were both convicted offirst-degree murder and sentenced to death. Zein Isa died of diabetes before he could be executed. Maria Isa was later resentenced tolife imprisonment and died in prison.
Zein Isa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zein al-Abdeen Hassan Isa (1931-06-03)June 3, 1931 |
| Died | February 17, 1997(1997-02-17) (aged 65) |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Spouse | Maria Isa |
| Children | 7 |
| Motive | Honor killing |
| Conviction | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Tina Isa |
| Date | November 6, 1989 |
| Location | St. Louis |
| Weapon | Boning knife |
Maria Isa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maria Matias (1943-08-10)August 10, 1943 Santa Catarina, Brazil |
| Died | April 30, 2014(2014-04-30) (aged 70) Vandalia, Missouri, U.S. (presumably inWomen's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center) |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Conviction | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death; commuted tolife imprisonment without possibility of parole |
Palestina Zein Isa, named afterPalestine, was born on December 3, 1972, inMato Grosso, Brazil.[2] The youngest of seven siblings, she lived in a southern portion of theCity of St. Louis in an apartment complex,[3] and attended Dewey Junior High School[4] andRoosevelt High School in St. Louis. Her father Zein Isa was a MuslimPalestinian who originated fromBeitin,West Bank.[1] Her mother Maria Isa wasBrazilian andRoman Catholic,[1] of Italian, German, and someAmerindian descent.[5] She learnedArabic andPortuguese from her parents andSpanish during her time living inPuerto Rico.[6]
Zein al-Abdeen Hassan Isa,[7] born on June 3, 1931, was the third son of a farmer.[8] While a teenager, he married a woman named Foiziya, hisdouble first cousin.[9] In the 1950s, Zein left Palestine,[10] emigrating with members of neighboring families.[8] He first lived in the south ofBrazil and, while on a business trip toRondonópolis, Mato Grosso, met Maria Matias (born August 10, 1943), a native of Mato Grosso who had been born inSanta Catarina. She was of Italian and Native Brazilian descent.[11]
On February 6, 1963, the two married despite the opposition of Maria's parents.[12] Zein did not reveal to Maria that she was his second wife until after they had married.[13] They moved toRaleigh, North Carolina in the fall of 1963, then toPaterson, New Jersey, followed by a move toArecibo, Puerto Rico, then back to Rondonópolis, and finally toCáceres, Mato Grosso.[14] Tina was born in Mato Grosso.[2]The family moved back to Puerto Rico, living in Arecibo until moving toIsabela one year later. During this time, the father, without the mother, lived with his children in the West Bank for periods of time.[15]
In 1980, Zein became anaturalized citizen of the United States.[16] The entire family moved to Beitin in the West Bank when Tina was five.[17] The family came to St. Louis around 1986[16] and owned a grocery store there.[18] Tina beganlearning English after arriving in St. Louis,[4] where her friends gave her the nickname "Tina".[19] In 1991, Tim Bryant of theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in regard to the parents, "Neither speaks English well."[16]
Tina's relationship with her father deteriorated after she turned 14; in earlier years they had enjoyed a closer relationship.[20] She listened to American popular music such aship hop,[1] dance, rap,R&B, androck.[citation needed] Tina Isa's ambition was to become a pilot after taking aeronautical engineering courses;[3] she intended to pursue this training atParks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology (part ofSt. Louis University).[21] Zein wanted to arrange Tina as a marriage partner to a man from his hometown.[1] Isa's elder sisters stated their dislike of her lifestyle. Her family sent people to extract her from a prom dance she attended.[16] When her family learned that she, since January 1989, was engaged in a romantic relationship with a 20-year-oldAfrican-American, Cliff Walker, Tina's parents grew even angrier.[22] Zein Isa held grudges against African-Americans since he believed Palestinian businesspeople had been targeted by black criminals.[23]
Prior to his daughter's murder, Zein made telephone calls stating that Tina had damaged the honor of his family and needed to die. On the day of her death, she worked her first day at aWendy's fast food restaurant;[22] the family also opposed the idea of her not working for the family's grocery business.[18] Ellen Harris, author ofGuarding the Secrets, wrote that "The problem was that Tina thought of herself as [sic] American orhyphenated-American, not as [sic]Arab."[24]
Tina's murder took place at the Delor Park Apartments, in her family's residence.[21] Isa's boyfriend walked her home after the first day of her job. Initially, her parents criticized her for having the outside job and later stated a belief that she was doing something else instead of working. Zein Isa stabbed his daughter with aboning knife. One of her lungs, her liver, and her heart were severely damaged by six blows to her chest. Maria Isa assisted Zein by holding Tina.[22] FBI agents were not at the surveillance unit when the killing occurred.[18]
Tina Isa was buried atSacred Heart Cemetery inFlorissant, Missouri, reportedly in a bridal gown. Her Brazilian mother said unmarried girls and women in Brazil who die are buried accordingly. The family intentionally did not provide notice of the funeral to the media to ensure that only people from the family, the local Palestinian community, and people from Beitin attended. They expressly did not want Tina's boyfriend to attend. FBI agents secretly monitored and photographed the proceedings.[25]
Zein Isa was a member of theAbu Nidal Organization, which at the time he murdered his daughter, was plotting to bomb theIsraeliEmbassy inWashington, D.C.[26] Harris wrote that "His daughters had long worried about Zein's ANO activities."[27]
A crucial factor in his trial was the fact that the FBI hadbugged Zein's house on aFISA order in connection with his suspectedterrorist activities[28] and, as such, had recorded Tina's murder on anaudio cassette. This was especially important in confirming the fact that Maria was an active participant in the murder, and that Zein's claim ofself-defense against Tina was false.[18] Zein had accused Tina of asking for $5,000 and of grabbing a knife,[29] and Isa's lawyers related to the jury that Tina had kicked her father in the leg, which they stated had previously sustained injuries, and that she had wielded a meat cleaver as a weapon.[30]
The New York Times wrote in 1991, "Since the F.B.I. has refused to discuss the tapes, only some of which were used at the trial, it is not clear whether the authorities could have intervened to prevent the killing."[18] FBI officials stated that several of Isa's statements before the killing were empty threats, and that this is why the agency took no action before Tina died.[3] The state-levelprosecutor, Dee Joyce-Hayes, used several FBI tapes as evidence in the trial against Zein and Maria Isa.[18] Maria's lawyers argued that Maria had favored Tina in family disputes and that she could not have participated in the murder. On October 25, 1991, Zein and Maria Isa were convicted offirst-degree murder. The jury deliberated less than four hours before reaching their verdict.[31] On December 20, 1991,[32] Zein and Maria Isa weresentenced to death by the jury; Circuit Judge Charles A. Shaw stated "Culture is no excuse for murder. I see no reason to deviate from the jury's recommendation."[33]
In April 1993, Zein wasindicted by the FBI in connection with his terrorist activities within the Abu Nidal Organization. The federal prosecutors issuing the indictment accused Zein of killing Tina partly because he feared she could expose his ANO activities.[26] The charges were later dropped, as he was already ondeath row for his daughter's murder.[citation needed]
The case received media coverage in Brazil.[16] Zein was to be sent toPotosi Correctional Center inPotosi, Missouri, while Maria was to be sent to theJefferson City, Missouri-area Renz Prison.[16] On February 17, 1997, Zein died in prison of complications related todiabetes. Maria's death sentence wascommuted tolife imprisonment without parole; she died on April 30, 2014, in aVandalia, Missouri prison at the age of 70 from apparent natural causes.[34][35]
As a result of the case, some Palestinian families residing in the U.S. sent their children back to Palestine to avoid their undergoingAmericanization.[36]
A book titledGuarding the Secrets, written by Ellen Harris, was published in 1995 which documents the murder. In the book, she stated a journalist from Palestine compared the murder to the ancient biblical story ofDinah.[37] The case was depicted in theForensic Filesseason 8 episode "Honour Thy Father" which aired on July 30, 2005. The case was also featured on an episode ofArrest & Trial.
Notes
The surveillance unit was not staffed [...] could have intervened to prevent the killing.
The Missouri Department of Corrections said Maria Isa, 70, died early Wednesday at a prison in Vandalia.- Variant article: "Woman serving life dies in prison" (May 1, 2014) at theColumbia Daily Tribune; accessed June 13, 2020.
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