Elias Abuelazam: The Multi-State Serial Stabber
'Big Man'
A tip received just after midnight on Wednesday, August 11, 2010, led investigators to a party store in Mt. Morris, Mich., near Flint, called the Kingwater Market, where Abuelazam worked. He had been employed there since July 5, 2010, and had been hired by the store's owner, Abdullah Farah, who only knew Abuelazam by his first name and had hired him to work the night shift. Because of his large stature, he was nicknamed "Big Man" at the store. Others called him "Eli." Records showed that he is 6' 4" tall and weighs about 230 pounds. It was said that Abuelazam drove a green SUV similar to the one described in many of the attacks.
Toward the time of the end of the string of violent attacks in Flint, Abuelazam reportedly told Farah that he needed to take time off to travel to Virginia. Some people said that he wanted to relocate to that state. Investigators noted that the attacks in Leesburg began shortly after Abuelazam left his job at the party store.
Investigators also learned from a store customer, Edward Ganes, who also told his story to The Detroit News, that Abuelazam had recently shown Ganes injuries to his hands and had reportedly told Ganes that he had received the injuries in a fight.
"We were talking a couple of weeks ago, and he shows me his knuckles, his hands," Ganes said. "They're all scratched up. He said he had to do something to somebody. He had scratches on his knuckles and some fingers were taped up."
A co-worker, Corky Caldwell, an African-American, told investigators that he had not sensed any racial hostility from Abuelazam.
"He could have killed me if he was like that," Caldwell said. "There was no sign of violence in him. He couldn't have been a racist because it's all black people coming in here at night. I didn't see no crazy man at all."