Nada Huranieh case on Dateline - A detailed case overview

In Farmington Hills, Michigan, Nada Huranieh, a mother and eager fitness instructor, was discovered lifeless on a patio in her family’s house on August 21, 2017. What initially seemed to be a tragic accident, a fall from a second-story window during a cleaning ritual, turned into a devastating story of deceit.

A native of Syria, Huranieh had established a life in America with her husband, Dr. Bassel Altantawi, in a massive 10,000-square-foot mansion with their trio of kids. However, beneath this façade of a perfect family, there were underlying strains because of an imminent divorce and some domestic trouble in the past.

She had a 16-year-old son, Muhammad Altantawi, who would go on to smother her to death and arrange it in such a way that it seemed to be a case of a robbery gone wrong. The story of a perfect family with imperfections is relayed in the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered NBC episode The Shadow in the Window, which aired on June 4, 2025, on NBC.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered​​​​​​: The life of Nada Huranieh

Nada Huranieh grew up in Syria, where she met her future husband, Bassel Altantawi, a medical professional with strong religious beliefs. The couple immigrated to the United States, settling in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a comfortable suburb near Detroit.

Bassel opened an urgent care clinic, providing financial stability, while Nada Huranieh focused on raising their three young children: daughter Aya, then 14; son Muhammad, 16; and a younger sibling. They lived in a large home on Howard Road, symbolizing their American dream.

Over time, Nada Huranieh sought more independence. About 18 months before her death, a heated argument led to Bassel injuring her hand in a door, resulting in a domestic violence charge to which he pleaded no contest.

He moved out and wore an ankle monitor as part of probation. Nada began working as a certified personal trainer at the Franklin Athletic Club in Southfield, earning praise for her energy and smile, as per Oxygen. 

She stopped wearing her traditional hijab, started casual dating, and pursued education, changes that marked her shift from a submissive role to one of self-empowerment. Friends described her as outgoing and loving, always putting her family first despite the growing divorce proceedings.

These steps toward autonomy, however, created friction at home, as the children navigated their parents' separation. Aya later recalled her mother's excitement about this new chapter, filled with gym classes and personal growth. NadaHuranieh's story reflects many immigrant women's journeys toward balance between culture and personal freedom, according to Oxygen.

The morning of the tragedy

The tragic series of events took place very early in the day on August 21, 2017, in the Altantawi family residence. Aya, their 14-year-old daughter, woke up expecting her daily mother-child routine with her mother, Nada Huranieh.

But since her mother wasn't in her room, Aya decided to check her mother's presence in the guest room upstairs. As she entered her mother’s room, she observed an open window on her second level with a ladder leaning against the wall, with Tilex and a damp cloth laid out.

Aya peered over to see her mother lying lifelessly on the patio below, clad in her PJs with her face up, after a fall of approximately 29 feet, as Oxygen reported. Aya screamed in panic and ran to her brother Muhammad's room to get assistance.

They rushed downstairs as Aya called 911 using her cell phone. Then, a dashboard camera from one of the arriving police officers recorded Aya frantically jogging towards them up the driveway.

Muhammad started administering CPR to Nada Huranieh based on the instructions given by the emergency operator, but soon, paramedics arrived and confirmed her death, meaning she had been dead for some time.

The scene looked like an accident: the ladder suggested cleaning gone wrong, and the open window implied a slip. Initial responders noted no obvious signs of foul play, and family members expressed shock. Aya later described the moment as surreal, her world shattering in seconds, according to Oxygen. 

Unraveling the evidence

Autopsy results quickly shifted the case from accident to homicide. Oakland County Medical Examiner Dr. Ljubisa J. Dragovic determined Nada Huranieh died from asphyxiation, likely nasal and oral blockage by a pillow or cloth, before the fall, with blunt force trauma to her head as a secondary factor.

A bruise on her lower lip predated the drop, and no Tilex cleaner was found in her lungs, ruling out inhalation during cleaning, as per Oxygen. The home's six surveillance cameras provided crucial clues. Footage showed Nada's body falling straight down at 6:05 a.m., without the twist of a live fall.

Moments earlier, a shadow from a short-haired figure lifted a heavy object to the window, followed by spray marks from cleaning liquid on the glass, evidence of staging. Another clip captured someone placing the ladder after the fact.

Investigators noted Muhammad's changing stories: he first denied being awake, then claimed he held the ladder while Nada Huranieh cleaned, and finally admitted seeing her fall but returning to bed.

Cell data revealed 20 calls and texts between Muhammad and his father that morning, though Bassel's ankle monitor placed him miles away at his clinic. Friends shared that Muhammad resented Nada Huranieh's lifestyle changes and blamed her for the divorce, even labeling her Dog in his phone, according to Oxygen. 

Justice in the courtroom

Muhammad Altantawi's trial began in March 2022 in Oakland County Circuit Court, delayed by appeals over his interrogation as a minor. Prosecutors argued he smothered Nada Huranieh in her makeup room to silence her in the divorce, then staged the fall to protect his father.

Key testimony came from Aya, who described Muhammad's opposition to the split and his view of Nada Huranieh as a family destroyer. Surveillance shadows and autopsy findings supported the timeline of death before disposal, as Oxygen reported.

The defense claimed no DNA or fingerprints linked Muhammad, calling the footage vague and suggesting bias against his Syrian-Muslim background. Muhammad, representing himself at sentencing, denied guilt and cited discrimination.

After deliberating, the jury convicted him of first-degree premeditated murder in September 2022. Judge Wendy Potts sentenced him to 35 to 60 years in prison at the Michigan Department of Corrections' Kinross facility.

Aya, now in college, aiming for law school, delivered a poignant impact statement about her loss. Bassel attended but offered no remorse, praising his son briefly before being interrupted. The verdict brought closure to a grieving daughter but underscored enduring family fractures. Today, Aya honors her mother's memory through advocacy for at-risk youth, according to Oxygen.

Stay tuned for more news and updates.