By Debbie Swartz
dswartz@gannett.com
A Binghamton man is facing murder charges in Arizona, accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death with a screwdriver.
Dzevad Selimovic of Binghamton is facing murder charges after police say he killed 27-year-old Emina Redza in her Phoenix apartment. Selimovic, 39, came to visit last week, but the couple reportedly had several arguments.
A few months ago, Selimovic left his wife and two children for Redza, said family friend Nermina Begic.
"This is a shock," she said. "They (the family) didn't know anything."
Begic was at the family's home in Binghamton Friday evening when they learned about the arrest.
Selimovic and Redza dated for about three months and lived together in Apalachin. According to Press & Sun-Bulletin archives, Selimovic emigrated from Bosnia-Herzegovina and became a naturalized citizen in 2006.
"We found out in early June that my father had lived a double life," said Selimovic's 17-year-old daughter, Hurija Selimovic.
The teenager said she met Redza and tried to warn her of her father's temper and other issues.
"I told her from the start my father is a liar," she said, "I tried to convince her to leave him."
Redza moved to Phoenix in August with the help of her father, Hurija Selimovic said. Trouble started when Redza's parents became aware Redza was dating a married man with children, she said.
According to police, on Thursday evening Selimovic wanted to take a shower at Redza's apartment before taking a flight back to New York.
At some point, Redza turned her back to him and police say Selimovic stabbed her in the face, throat, upper back and hands with a 6-inch, serrated tire-repair screwdriver he had bought at a gas station. He then fled in the victim's car.
Hours later, police say Selimovic pulled up to a police patrol car, told an officer about the stabbing and was taken into custody.
Police say Redza was found with the screwdriver protruding from her right temple. She was taken to a Phoenix hospital, where she died Friday morning.
Hurija Selimovic said she knew something was wrong when she was unable to reach her father on the telephone.
"I called him yesterday after school and he didn't pick up. I knew something was wrong," she said. "He was losing his mind already."
Selimovic said she feared her father might be suicidal, but didn't think he would kill someone. Her harsh words with Redza now haunt her, she said.
"I'm so disgusted with my father. That's someone's child, like I'm his child," Selimovic said. "Right now I feel so bad for every bad word I said to her."
Her family is trying to contact Redza's parents to offer their condolences, she said.
"I feel so sorry for her family," Hurija Selimovic said.
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