On July 20, 2021, 28-year-old Junaid Akhlas of Beaver County was found dead in the trunk of his car at an abandoned Texaco gas station in Moon Township, near Coraopolis. He had been shot in the head. Junaid, of South Asian descent and a father who had emigrated from Pakistan, had gone out the evening before to give his cousin a ride to Pittsburgh International Airport and did not return.

Investigators focused on 25-year-old Anoosh Almas as the primary suspect. License plate reader data placed Junaid’s car near the airport but showed it did not enter; police believe Almas later went to a Super 8 motel. A Lyft driver reported picking up a man from the motel who discarded a shopping bag; officers found bloody clothing in that bag. A gun registered to Almas was recovered behind the gas station.

An arrest warrant charged Almas with criminal homicide and related counts. Security footage showed Almas leaving a Lyft and boarding a flight to Cancun hours after the killing. The U.S. Marshals Service has led the search and billboards offering a reward have been used locally. If anyone knew Junaid or has information about his death or Almas’s whereabouts, please come forward.