Abdelkrim Belachheb

Case record

Abdelkrim Belachheb was a Moroccan national.

Background

Marcelle Ford, a 32-year-old woman, danced with Abdelkrim Belachheb, described as a 39-year-old Moroccan, at Ianni's Club in Dallas, Texas. Belachheb was described as an unemployed waiter.

Friends and acquaintances described Belachheb as sometimes polite and friendly and as talking frequently about his two daughters overseas. Other people said he seemed to enjoy liquor, women and expensive cars. One friend said Belachheb was often depressed and longed to fit into American society. The friend said that Belachheb once tried to commit suicide.

Belachheb’s resume, obtained by Dallas police, described schools in France and Switzerland and jobs in Brussels, Belgium, that took him throughout Europe and the Middle East. Dallas police said he exaggerated his accomplishments, overstating the length of two jobs in Dallas and making up a third. In less than a year, he was fired from one Dallas job and agreed to leave another.

Belachheb entered the United States in Los Angeles on April 23, 1981. He later married a U.S. citizen and became a permanent legal resident, according to immigration officials. He worked in a restaurant in Los Angeles for a year, and then came to Dallas in 1982. One account described his life in Dallas as a series of short jobs, often at minimum wage.

Mohammed Benali, a former roommate, said that one day Belachheb would be well and happy, and the next day he would be down, and that he had not been able to keep a job. Benali said he lived with Belachheb for four months in North Dallas and said Belachheb went to the Center for the English Language to try to improve his life and learn to fit in with others. Rita Mueske, one of his teachers, said Belachheb was not a real good student and that the instructors were unhappy with his comments. Mueske said he had a “generally offensive manner,” attended class with alcohol on his breath, and was easy to rile. Benali said Belachheb went to welding school and bartending school, and that those did not work.

George Candaras, owner of G&C Internationals, where Belachheb worked for two months in 1983, said Belachheb tried to do business but never did, and that Belachheb came and disappeared. Candaras said he asked Belachheb to leave because of chronic absenteeism. Candaras also recalled that Belachheb cultivated the image of a playboy and acted like that.

A neighbor said a limousine that Belachheb drove was often outside his apartment. Belachheb’s wife, Joanne O'Brien Belachheb, owned a home in Pleasant Grove, which she put up for sale on April 30, said Melissa Switzer, a real estate agent. Switzer said Belachheb told her that his wife had not been living with him at his apartment for six weeks, and police could not locate her on Friday.

The offence

The incident occurred at Ianni's Club in Dallas, Texas.

Marcelle Ford and Abdelkrim Belachheb were dancing when it seemed that something Belachheb said upset Ford. Ford was seen furiously pushing Belachheb away at one point during the night. Belachheb responded by standing back and playfully blowing her a kiss before he walked away, seemingly indifferent about her rejection.

A few minutes later, Belachheb returned into the club with a 9mm automatic pistol. He pointed it at Marcelle Ford and fired. As she fell to the floor, Belachheb emptied the clip into her body. He then left the area briefly, went outside only to reload the gun, and returned inside.

After reloading, Belachheb fired indiscriminately into the crowded, panicked, dance floor. He hit six more people, killing five instantly: Frank Parker, Joseph Minasi, Janice Smith, Linda Lowe & Ligia Kozlowski. Ford was still alive when police arrived, but she died on the way to the hospital.

Police described the event as a mass killing. Police later called it the worst mass murder in Dallas history.

Investigation

Police spent the next few hours trying to find Belachheb. They located his car near his house but found no sign of him at that time.

Arrest

Belachheb’s freedom ended a few hours later when he called police. He told them where they could find him and that he was ready to go peacefully.

Trial

On November 15, 1984, Abdelkrim Belachheb was found guilty.

A jury deliberated and returned a verdict at mid-morning. One report said the jury deliberated for just over an hour that day after deliberating the previous night.

The defense attorney contended that Abdelkrim Belachheb was “crazy” when he committed the crime. The jury rejected that contention.

Sentencing

On November 15, 1984, Abdelkrim Belachheb was sentenced to six consecutive life terms in prison.

Another report described the sentencing as: six consecutive life terms for shooting to death six people at a club, the worst mass murder in Dallas history. It also described additional sentencing: 20 years in prison for attempted murder and a fine of $70,000, with $10,000 on each charge.

Timeline

• April 23, 1981 — Belachheb entered the United States in Los Angeles.
• 1982 — Belachheb came to Dallas.
• April 30 — Joanne O'Brien Belachheb put her Pleasant Grove home up for sale.
• 7 p.m. Thursday (relative to the June 1984 reports) — Belachheb picked up his last check and uniform at Augustus' Restaurant in Addison.
• June 1984 (early today/early yesterday; multiple June 1984 reports) — Belachheb shot and killed Marcelle Ford and five other patrons at Ianni's Club in Dallas, Texas; a seventh person was wounded.
• November 15, 1984 — Belachheb was found guilty and was sentenced to six consecutive life terms in prison.
• November 16, 1984 — Another report described the conviction and sentencing, including attempted murder sentencing and a $70,000 fine.

Other details

Belachheb was accused of killing Marcell M. Ford, identified by police as his dance partner.

Police called the slaughter the worst mass murder in Dallas history.

One report described the shootings as leaving four women and two men dead and a seventh person wounded.

One report described the incident as beginning after a woman called him a “monkey” and refused to dance with him. A friend said Belachheb “needed to kill” after the woman called him a “monkey” and refused to dance with him.

Verbatim quotes included in the case:

• Mohammed Benali, a former roommate, said: “One day everything would be well, and he'd be happy. The next day he would be down. He's not ever been able to keep a job.”
• George Candaras, owner of G&C Internationals, said: “He tried to do the business, but he never did. He came and disappeared.”
• Rita Mueske, one of Belachheb’s teachers, said: “He was not a real good student here. We were unhappy with his comments.”
• Rita Mueske, one of Belachheb’s teachers, said: “generally offensive manner”
• Benali said: “He was depressed, nervous.”
• Benali said: “He said he'd had a very bad life. He was trying hard to stretch his life, and he was trying hard to do well. . . . He tried to go to welding school and bartending school. That didn't work.”
• A friend said: “needed to kill,”
• The friend also said the woman called Belachheb a “monkey” and refused to dance with him.

Belachheb spent the last few hours of freedom celebrating the final day of Ramadan, according to the reporting.