MEAD, Wash. — A woman accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend at his Mead home last month appeared in Spokane County Superior Court for the first time on Tuesday.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, 37-year-old Cynthia Khaleel is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, assault in violation of a domestic violence order and violating a no-contact order. The charges stem from her allegedly killing 40-year-old Justin Daniel, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, inside his Mead home on April 13.
Tuesday's hearing was called to determine whether Khaleel should be held without bond. In court, several of Daniel's family members spoke out against her being allowed bond, stating the entire family, including Daniel's teenage daughter who was home during the alleged attack, fears what Khaleel may do if she is released.
Just before 2 a.m. on April 13, the sheriff's office received a report of a burglary taking place at a house in the 15100 block of North Wilson Court in Mead. Callers told dispatch they heard yelling, loud bangs and possible gun shots. When deputies arrived, they found a man they believed to be the homeowner dead inside. The man was later identified as Daniel.
Detectives learned through their investigation that Daniel was stabbed "an excessive number of times" and was shot several times. Deputies searched the home and the surrounding area for a suspect but did not find anyone. Approximately one hour later, however, they received a report that a woman, later identified as Khaleel, had just been admitted for treatment of non-life-threatening stab wounds.
Through their investigation, detectives learned Daniel and Khaleel were involved in a custody battle involving a two-year-old child they had together. Probable cause was established to charge Khaleel with Daniel's murder and several other felony charges.
Members of Daniel's family tearfully stood before a judge and asked that Khaleel be held without bond. Terry Lee Smith, Daniel's mother, was first to speak. Following Daniel being awarded full custody of he and Khaleel's three-year-old daughter, Smith said Khaleel made it known that she hated Daniel and every member of his family.
"We, as a family, have a fear that evil will come to our door, as it did to Justin's," Smith said.
Brittany Price, the mother of Daniel's teenage daughter, spoke next, sharing Smith's sentiment that the family fears what will happen to them if Khaleel were to be released. She said a protection order may not be enough to protect the family because Khaleel allegedly violated Daniel's against her.
"Just a couple of months ago, Justin testified to this court that he was afraid she would kill him," Price said. "I sat there. I heard him say, 'She's going to kill me.' And she did."
Price said she went to the scene of the murder before it was cleaned and described it as something she'd never seen in any television show. If given the opportunity, Price said she believes Khaleel would have killed her daughter on the day she allegedly killed Daniel.
"I beg you not to grant bail for this animal," Price said. "She should feel the pain of knowing that she is missing her kids' lives. That is what she robbed Justin of."
Daniel's teenage daughter who was home at the time of his murder also spoke. She tearfully asked the judge to hold Khaleel without bond, stating the idea of her being able to pay to be released from prison made her sick.
"She deserves every ounce of punishment for the choices she decided to make the night my father was killed," she said. "And I know that if I didn't get out, she would have killed me, too. I don't deserve to live in fear."
This is not the first time Khaleel has appeared in court for the murder charges against her. Following her April arrest, Khaleel was not booked into the Spokane County Jail and was instead taken into custody to receive treatment for injuries at an undisclosed location. At some point, she appeared in Spokane County District Court under the name Cynthia Rose, her maiden name.
Ultimately, Spokane County Court Commissioner Eugene Cruz determined Khaleel would remain held without bond. Khaleel is set to appear in court again for her arraignment on May 29.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
Apple TV: Search "Spokane News from KREM" in the Apple store or follow this link.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.