‘How could this happen'? Accused killer of Reston mom believed to have fled U.S.

A man accused of killing a young mother in Reston, Virginia, went on the run, on the very day his murder trial was supposed to begin.

Police say the defendant recently fled to Canada. Fairfax County prosecutors say it’s exactly what they warned would happen after a judge first let the man out on bond, then later let him remove his GPS monitor.

The victim, Maryam Ali Mohammed Al Jaberi, was the mother of two young children. She was in a relationship with Salim Ball, then 24.

On June 22, 2020, her landlord found her dead in the home she rented in Reston. She was 29.

A week later, Ball, her romantic partner, was arrested and charged in connection with her death.

Prosecutors say DNA and phone records clearly pointed to Ball as the killer. But now, bringing Ball to justice suddenly is in limbo.

Fairfax County authorities learned Friday that he had failed to call in to court services as required. They believe Ball, who is from Sudan and still has family living abroad, fled to Canada.

"Oh God, it’s disappointing. I felt really bad and I still feel really bad for Maryam’s family," Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said. "This is a young mother who was murdered in her own home; this happened almost five years ago. We were very much looking forward to getting that accountability and getting closure."

Descano says this is what prosecutors warned could happen every time defense attorneys asked Judge Richard Gardiner to give Ball more freedom while he awaited trial.

"I’ll tell you we were worried about this from the beginning," Descano said, "and we really took every step that we possibly could, legally, to try to get this person in custody before trial, because we were worried about just this."

Here’s what court records show:

• Ball was indicted in October 2020 on first-degree murder and strangulation charges.
• In November, the judge granted bond.
• Prosecutors appealed, and the Court of Appeals of Virginia took their side, rejecting bond.
• But, as the trial was delayed, defense attorneys asked again for bond in August 2022.
• Again, it was granted.
• That time, the commonwealth elected not to appeal.

"If we had a legitimate avenue to do that, we would have done it, but the law change in the intervening time meant we did not have that ability," Descano said.

Ball gained even more freedom in February 2024. The judge allowed him to remove his GPS monitor. The only condition that remained was that he must call in daily to court services. But Friday — a court document shows — those calls stopped. Ball was gone.

The victim's niece told News4 the family had been getting ready for the suspect's trial, booking flights and hotel rooms, taking time off work and preparing emotionally.

She wrote in a statement: "But then came the phone call that broke us ... Our hearts shattered once more. The anguish and anger in our family were immediate and overwhelming ... How could this happen? How could someone accused of such violence be allowed to walk free? We firmly believe this could — and should — have been prevented. This was a failure in the justice system that has caused our family immense and lasting pain."

The judge who freed Ball has retired.

On Tuesday, a new judge issued a warrant for Ball on a failure-to-appear charge.

Fairfax County police tell News4 they're working with federal partners, including the U.S. Marshal Service, to try to find Ball and have him returned to the United States.

"Our hope is that he’s picked up by Canadian authorities and we’ll do what it takes to go through the extradition process," Descano said.

In the meantime, a family’s five-year wait for justice is getting even longer and more uncertain.