LAKE COUNTY, FL — The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office announced Friday that it is seeking the death penalty against 44-year-old Shahidul Islam following his indictment on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder in the 2025 killing of Monica Islam.
A Lake County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment charging Islam with first-degree murder with a firearm. Prosecutors allege that on May 2, 2025, he intentionally shot and killed Monica Islam.
According to officials, Islam was recently extradited back to Lake County after serving a federal sentence related to unlawfully reentering the United States following a prior deportation. He is being held without bond at the Lake County Detention Facility.
State Attorney Bill Gladson said the indictment is an important step toward holding the defendant accountable, while acknowledging that it cannot undo the loss suffered by the victim’s family.
The State Attorney’s Office said it is pursuing the death penalty under Florida law based on the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim’s family. Assistant State Attorney Thomas Wieczorek will prosecute the case.
SOURCE: Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office
