2025 Lake County murder suspect extradited for charge in sister-in-law's death: Deputies

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A murder suspect in connection with the 2025 death of a Eustis woman has been returned to Lake County custody after being extradited from federal custody on an immigration warrant. 

Shahidul Islam – the brother-in-law of the 44-year-old victim Monica Islam – is a suspect in the death of Monica, who was shot and killed on May 2, 2025. Her body was found along the roadside in Mount Dora, the Lake County Sheriff's office reported. 

Shahidul was extradited back to Lake County on May 31 for first-degree murder. 

What happened in the moments leading up to Monica Islam's death?

Timeline:

• Monica's brother-in-law, Shahidul, left his Longwood home just after 3:30 a.m., May 2, 2025 – the day Monica died. He was in the area of the Shell gas station where she worked around 5:15 that morning.
• Shahidul called his Monica's phone at 5:30 a.m., and she was seen on surveillance footage walking toward his car.
• The sheriff's office said license plate reader databases placed Shahidul just before 6 a.m. in the area where Monica's body was found an hour later.
• At just before 6:30 a.m., Shahidul searched the Internet regarding the incident, deputies said. He returned home at 7 a.m.
• Monica's body was found dead along a roadside at the intersection of Wolf Branch Drive and Scenic Hills Drive in Mount Dora around 7:20 a.m.

Held on federal immigration warrant

What we know:

After Monica's death, Shahidul reportedly fled to New York, where U.S. Marshals assisted in taking him into custody. Due to being previously deported and reentering the country illegally, Shahidul has been in federal immigration custody for the past year, Sgt. James Vachon, with the Lake County Sheriff's office, confirmed. 

How did Monica Islam die? 

The passenger-side window of Shahidul's vehicle was shattered, a bullet was found in the door, and bloodstains were found, the sheriff's office said. Investigators said the stains resulted in a presumptive match to Monica’s DNA.

Monica died from a gunshot to her head, Vachon said.

Watch: Lake County Sheriff's office gives update on case

A domestic violence victim

The backstory:

Detectives learned that Monica was a domestic violence victim from a December 2024 incident. The sheriff's office said Monica's husband allegedly hit her and stole jewelry and paperwork for a property in Bangladesh. This property was a subject of dispute between the two, deputies said. 

During that incident, Shahidul reportedly pointed a gun at her and told her not to call 911, the sheriff's office said. The incident was reported to Eustis Police. 

Where is Monica Islam's husband? 

Monica's husband fled the country and has not returned, the sheriff's office said. He has not been charged in connection with her death. 

What they're saying:

Vachon said the situation is heartbreaking for Monica's family. 

"They're gonna have to go through this all over again," he said. "The initial shock of the homicide itself and now they're gonna have to re-live this whole thing." 

What's next:

Now that Shahidul has been returned to Lake County, his trial will begin.