Texas AG stepping in to prosecute Conroe doctor's death after family expresses dissatisfaction

CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is stepping in and taking over the prosecution for Dr. Talat Jehan Khan's murder case after family members expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

"A fundamental disagreement has arisen regarding the nature of the offense and prosecutors' anticipated trial strategy," records state. "Under the circumstances, the district attorney has determined that it is appropriate that he recuse himself from the prosecution of this case and that he seek appointment of an attorney pro tem."

When Eyewitness News reached out to the Montgomery County DA's office about the Texas AG stepping in, a spokesperson sent the following statement:

"We have had informal contact with the Attorney General's Office to take the case of State v. Fredrich Miles, and the Attorney General's Office has graciously indicated a willingness to take the case. This is encouraging, as we have full confidence in the highly skilled professionals at the Attorney General's Office who routinely handle serious cases such as this one. However, it is our understanding that no other prosecutor has been formally appointed as of the time of this email. Judge Phil Grant will make that decision at some point in the future, and it will be entirely his decision to make. Should the Attorney General's Office not be appointed, we are confident that Judge Grant will select another office capable of prosecuting the case appropriately."

District Attorney Brett Ligon also sent the following:

"My concern is and will forever remain that the man who murdered Dr. Talat Jehan Khan faces full accountability for his actions. My heart breaks for the family and friends of Dr. Khan, and I want to ensure that they have complete confidence in both the process and result of the prosecution of Miles Joseph Fridrich.

Concerning the question of whether Miles Fridrich committed the murder based on the ethnic or religious identity of Dr. Khan, I can say that neither the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District, Conroe Police Department, or my office have uncovered facts that would lead to the offense being characterized as a hate crime. In any case such as this, investigation into any possible motives will continue until the case is resolved, but as of now, we do not believe the public should be concerned that Mile Fridrich committed the alleged acts for any known ideological or personal reasons connected to Dr. Khan.

We anticipate that the professionals at the Office of the Attorney General, should they be appointed, will continue with the full and fair prosecution of Miles Fridrich to ensure that justice is done."

Khan was stabbed to death on Oct. 28, 2023, at about 12:30 p.m. in the common area of the Alys Luxury Living Apartments. A lawsuit against the complex states that on the day of the brutal incident, the property had a security checkpoint booth, which was unmanned, and an electronic keypad, which was inoperable, leaving the gates open - thus allowing the suspect to walk on the property.

Shortly after the stabbing, the suspect, 24-year-old Miles Joseph Fridrich, was arrested and charged with murder in Montgomery County.

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