Man beat son to death with rolling pin for not doing homework

A New York man was found guilty of the brutal bashing murder of his 10-year-old son, in what detectives described as one of the worst crimes they had seen. 

Jurors took less than three hours to convict Ali-Mohamed Mohamud, of Buffalo, of second-degree murder, the Buffalo News reported.

The court was told the 41-year-old became enraged because his stepson, Abdifatah Mohamud, was playing video games and watching television instead of doing his homework. 

After duct-taping a sock in the boy’s mouth, he tied his hands with electrical cord and then struck him almost 70 times with a hardwood rolling pin. 

“A person who should have been his protector was instead his murderer,” prosecutor, Thomas M. Finnerty, told jurors in his closing argument.

“Doing this to anyone is so inhuman, so wantonly cruel, but doing this to an utterly defenseless 10-year-old boy, less than a hundred pounds, his own stepson, who had referred to his murderer as ‘Dad?’ ”

Defense attorney, Kevin Spitler, said his client did not do it intentionally and it was out of character.

Spitler described Mohamud as “a kind, considerate, patient, understanding, diligent, hardworking intelligent man.”

Juror Deborah Grine said it was shocking to listen to witnesses describe how Abdifatah, Abdi to his family, was beaten repeatedly, Jamestown YNN reported.

"Listening to the testimony, viewing the videos, viewing the photographs, in particular for me, viewing the results of the autopsy was probably one of the most horrifying things," Grine said.

Abdi's family said he was a popular student who received A’s and B’s on his report card. He also liked to watch cartoons and play video games.

Mohamud will be sentenced on November 15 and faces up to 25 years jail.