🚨 CHILLING LONG ISLAND HORROR: He hid in the shadows of their family home… waited until she dropped the kids at school… then suffocated her with a cyanide-soaked rag that “seared her lungs” from the inside! 😱💀

This wasn’t a crime of passion — it was a cold, calculated execution. 53-year-old ex-husband Asif Qureshi allegedly stalked his estranged wife Aleena Asif for months after she demanded a divorce. He broke in, lay in wait for nearly an hour, then attacked when she was alone, leaving her body with horrific facial burns for their children to find. 🔥

Prosecutors call it one of the most horrific cases in decades: “She took a breath, and the cyanide just burns your lungs.” A quiet suburban home turned into a house of horrors. He even tested his escape route on an electric scooter days before!

How far would jealousy and rage push someone? The kids — including a 7-year-old — will never be the same. 😢

This nightmare just got even darker with the latest indictment. Who’s shocked and outraged?

Full story:

A 53-year-old unemployed software engineer from Bellerose, Queens, has been indicted on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary in the October 17, 2025, death of his estranged wife, Aleena Asif, 46, in their former family home on Larch Drive in Herricks.

Asif Qureshi was arraigned January 8, 2026, in Nassau County Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He remains held without bail and is scheduled to return to court February 18. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly described the killing as premeditated and particularly horrific, stating that Qureshi allegedly broke into the home while Asif and their children were out dropping off two younger siblings at school. He hid inside for nearly an hour before attacking her upon her return, using a rag soaked in cyanide to suffocate her, prosecutors said.

The medical examiner determined that Asif died from asphyxiation due to inhalation of cyanide, with the substance causing severe chemical burns around her mouth and face. Donnelly noted the cyanide “seared her lungs,” explaining that inhalation burns the respiratory system rapidly, leading to a painful and quick death.

The discovery of Asif’s body came after her youngest child, age 7, was not picked up from school. The girl called her 18-year-old sister, who then contacted police for a wellness check. Officers entered the locked home around 3:52 p.m. and found Asif deceased in her bedroom, lying face up on her bed with visible red facial burns.

The couple had three children together: an 18-year-old daughter attending college, a 14-year-old son, and a 7-year-old daughter. Asif, an accountant, had reportedly begun divorce proceedings earlier in 2025 after a tumultuous marriage that included prior domestic incidents. Court records indicate she filed for divorce in 2023 but reconciled temporarily with a separation agreement in late 2024 before refiling. Prosecutors allege Qureshi refused to accept divorce papers served on October 9, 2025, and began a pattern of stalking, showing up at the home repeatedly.

Investigators say Qureshi entered the residence dressed in dark clothing, including a hooded jacket, baseball cap, gloves, and mask, carrying a red and white tote bag. Surveillance video from the area captured him near the home multiple times in the days leading up to the murder, including testing a potential escape route by locking an electric scooter to a pole blocks away a week earlier.

On the day of the incident, the 18-year-old daughter left for classes around 7 a.m. Asif departed with the younger children shortly after 7:53 a.m. Prosecutors allege Qureshi then entered the unlocked home and waited. Asif returned briefly around 8 a.m. before leaving again around 8:50 a.m. to escort the 7-year-old to school. When she came back alone, Qureshi allegedly attacked, holding the cyanide-soaked rag over her mouth and nose.

Video evidence shows Qureshi leaving the home just before 11 a.m., walking to Marcus and Denton avenues, retrieving the scooter, and heading toward Queens. Additional footage placed him at nearby convenience stores before and after the incident, wearing the same clothing.

Qureshi was arrested October 23, 2025, in Bellerose after police executed a search warrant at his rental residence. Authorities recovered black latex gloves and bags consistent with items seen in surveillance footage, along with clothing matching what he wore during the alleged crime.

Donnelly emphasized the premeditated nature of the act, stating Qureshi “snuck into the house during school drop-off, lying in wait until his wife returned home.” She added, “When he had her alone, he allegedly held cyanide over her mouth, killed her, and left her body for their children to gruesomely discover. A home should be a place of sanctuary, but this defendant turned it into a house of horrors.”

The family had previously disabled home security cameras due to concerns that Qureshi might use them to monitor Asif, according to prosecutors. Police records show five prior domestic incidents at the residence, including one arrest of Qureshi, though no orders of protection were issued. Asif had called law enforcement multiple times expressing safety fears, including reports that Qureshi threatened to force her to swallow bleach.

Asif’s brother described her shortly after the death as “a very beautiful human being and very hard-working” who “did not deserve this kind of death.” Family members attended the January 8 arraignment but were too devastated to speak afterward.

Qureshi’s defense attorney, Stanley Rubin, maintained his client’s innocence, stating the case would be decided in court, not in public opinion. Rubin described Qureshi as presumed innocent and noted he had entered a vigorous not guilty plea.

The quiet Herricks neighborhood, part of a suburban area known for its family-friendly environment, was stunned by the violence. Residents noted the home’s proximity to schools and the normalcy of morning drop-offs, making the alleged intrusion even more alarming.

The case has drawn attention due to the use of cyanide — a rare and highly toxic method — and the calculated planning involved. Prosecutors highlighted Qureshi’s background as a former software engineer, suggesting his technical knowledge may have aided in the preparation, though no specific details on how he obtained or prepared the cyanide have been released publicly.

As of mid-January 2026, the investigation continues, with authorities focusing on forensic evidence and additional video review. No further charges have been announced, and the motive is tied publicly to the ongoing divorce and domestic history.

The tragedy leaves three children without their mother, with relatives stepping in to provide care. Community members have expressed sympathy for the family, calling the alleged act unthinkable in a place meant for safety and normal family life.