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2w ago

Medical Examiner Rules Homicide in Death of Refugee Left at Buffalo Coffee Shop

The finding intensifies scrutiny of how officials handled a nearly blind refugee after his jail release.

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Body camera footage shows Nurul Amin Shah Alam as he was approached by police officers in Buffalo, New York on February 15, 2025.
Community members and loved ones carry the body of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind refugee from Myanmar who was missing since his release from a jail into the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, and who was later found dead, during his funeral service, in Buffalo, New York, U.S., February 26, 2026. REUTERS/Craig Ruttle/File Photo
Nurul Amin Shah Alam.

Overview

  • The Erie County medical examiner, who ruled Wednesday, found Nurul Amin Shah Alam died from complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer brought on by hypothermia and dehydration.
  • After his Feb. 19 release from county jail, Border Patrol briefly detained him and left him at a Tim Hortons north of downtown that the mayor says was closed, while agents said he showed no distress and his family was not told he was out.
  • His lawyer reported him missing on Feb. 22, and he was found dead on Feb. 24 near Buffalo’s downtown arena, with authorities still unsure how he traveled from the coffee shop several miles away.
  • New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office will keep reviewing the case, as Buffalo’s mayor called federal decisions inhumane and the Department of Homeland Security said the death had nothing to do with Border Patrol.
  • A homicide ruling in medical terms means another person’s actions or inaction set in motion the fatal chain of events, which does not by itself decide criminal intent or guilt.