Mutah University student arrested for allegedly stabbing professor to death

AMMAN — Police on Sunday said they are questioning a Mutah University student who allegedly stabbed and murdered a university professor earlier in the day.

The victim was reportedly stabbed multiple times by the student at dawn, Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“The suspect turned himself in shortly following the incident and handed officers on duty the weapon allegedly used in the murder,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

“The victim was rushed to Karak Government Hospital but died shortly after being admitted, Sartawi said.

Various media outlets identified the victim as Ahmad Zu’by, 60, from Irbid and head of the Arabic Language Department at Mutah University.

According to the victim’s CV which was published online, he graduated from Yarmouk University with a BA and Master in the Arabic language. He continued his higher education in Iraq at Mustansiriyah University and obtained his PhD in Pre-Islamic Literature.

His family issued a statement calling on the authorities to conclude its investigations and to impose the death penalty on the suspect.

Meanwhile, the suspect’s family also issued a statement condemning the “heinous murder of Zu’by and expressing our remorse to the victim’s family”.

“Our son, who studies engineering at the university, killed Zu’by for an unknown reason to us. We strongly condemn this murder,” the suspect’s family said.

The suspect’s family pointed out that to their knowledge studying at the same university where the victim worked is unrelated to the actions committed by their family member.

They also stressed that their family enjoyed a good relationship with the victim, his father and the rest of their family.

Sartawi said investigations into the incident are ongoing.