Family remembers Houston pediatrician stabbed to death in Conroe
HOUSTON - Family, friends, and loved ones of Dr. Talat Jehan Khan gathered for a funeral for the pediatrician who was murdered in Conroe over the weekend.
Carrying her casket on their shoulders, loved ones gathered at Masjid Hamza Tuesday afternoon to pray and pay their respects to the 52-year-old Texas Children’s pediatrician who was stabbed and killed in Conroe on Saturday.
Conroe police say Khan was sitting on a picnic bench near her home at the Alys Apartments with her dog when the suspect appeared and stabbed her multiple times. Authorities say the man then checked her pulse and continued to stab her until she died.
"The nature of the crime is very, very difficult to digest. It’s very difficult for us to make sense of it," said Wajahat Nyaz, Khan's brother.
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Khan leaves behind two children, a 15-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old son.
Khan had just moved to Houston from Seattle two months ago. Her family flew in to meet with authorities and will be transporting her body back to Seattle where she'll be laid to rest.
"We want justice for Talat because that’s the only thing that we can do. We cannot bring her back. The least we can do as a community, as a family, is get her the justice she deserves," said Nyaz.
Nyaz remembers his sister as a kind and gentle soul who dedicated her life to helping kids.
"She was a pediatrician, a doctor. She saw hundreds of children. She had her own kids and children were her entire life," Nyaz said.
Khan's niece, Mahnoor Mangrio described her as an amazing mother and aunt.
"She was the most loving person. She was always there for her kids. She was always looking out for me, and I will always remember her for that. She was gracious, kind, gentle, just really, really pure, a really pure person," Mangrio said.
A man the family says they’ve never seen before has been charged with Khan’s murder.
Miles Joseph Fridrich, 24, appeared in court Sunday. Authorities say Fridrich had two priors on his record involving drugs and gun charges in Montgomery and Travis County, but both were later dismissed.
Court records show Fridrich has an address listed in Dallas, but investigators believe he lived near the area where the murder happened.
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The Al-Ansaar Islamic Center in The Woodlands where Khan attended said the mosque is tightening security over concerns the attack could’ve been racially motivated.
Investigators have not determined a motive.
Khan's family is urging the community to remain vigilant.
"Be vigilant of people they’re surrounding themselves with, by, where they are, and just stay safe," said Mangrio.
Fridrich remains in custody on a $500,000 bond. His next court date is set for Friday, Nov. 3 in Montgomery County.