COLUMBUS, Ohio – A second man has been found guilty in connection with the death of an Ohio religious leader who was killed in a failed robbery attempt. Isaiah Brown-Miller, 23, was convicted on Friday of kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges in his third trial for the December 2021 death of Columbus imam Mohamed Hassan Adam, a prominent figure in the Somali community. The victim, a 48-year-old imam at Masjid Abu Hurairah mosque, was found dead of multiple gunshots in a van two days after he went missing during a trip to pick up a child from day care.
According to Franklin County prosecutors, the defendants were reportedly attempting to obtain money from Adam and possibly from the mosque’s funds, to which the imam had access. However, investigators indicated that there was no evidence to suggest that Adam was targeted due to his faith or community affiliation. While Brown-Miller was not charged with murder, his co-defendant, 47-year-old John Wooden, was convicted of aggravated murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and other charges, facing a mandatory life term in prison and at least 20 years before being eligible for parole.
Following a mistrial in February and June, Brown-Miller’s conviction came after jurors deliberated for about 14 hours over two days and twice reported an impasse before arriving at the guilty verdicts. The judge revoked his bail and will sentence him to prison at a later date. Brown-Miller’s defense attorney Toure McCord had sought dismissal of the charges after the second mistrial, suggesting that there were alternate suspects. However, the prosecution’s case against Wooden was also criticized by one of his attorneys, who alleged that it was built on assumptions and that police had failed to follow all leads.