Sharifi's Death Sentence Upheld

Birmingham AL News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 26, 2026 · 1m

Iranian national Mohammad Sharifi’s final legal appeal has been crushed by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, sealing his death sentence for the brutal double murder of his ex-wife and her boyfriend in Alabama. After arriving in the U.S. on a tourist visa, Sharifi married Sarah Kay Smith in a bid to legalize his status—but their relationship soured, leading to his deportation denial and illegal stay. When he returned to the apartment armed, police arrived—but he returned later that day, leaving two bodies in the Tennessee River. Convicted and sentenced to die, Sharifi’s last-ditch legal…