Osman Shaptafaj jailed for life for killing daughter and son-in-law

A father who gunned down his daughter and her husband because they had not asked his permission to marry has been jailed for life after showing no remorse.

A father who lay in wait for his daughter and her husband to return home from celebrating their first wedding anniversary before gunning them down on their front doorstep has been ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Osman Shaptafaj, 57, shot Lindita and Veton Musai in the back of the head at close range on New Year’s Eve in 2019 because he felt “disrespected” that permission had not been sought for his daughter to marry.

In sentencing Shaptafaj to a minimum of 35 years behind bars for the double murder, Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney said he had shown no remorse for the “unspeakable crime”.

Veton Musai, 29, and Lindita Musai, 25, on their wedding day. Picture: Facebook

“You settled upon an evil plan that almost defies belief,” Justice Tinney said.

“Your crimes were premeditated, carried out on members of your family who should legitimately have expected you to be their protector, not someone who would kill them so savagely,” he said.

“With a cold heart, you shot them in the back of the head,” he said.

Shaptafaj had not seen his two children or ex-wife in more than eight years and was living a sad, isolated life when he loaded a revolver and left his Altona North home about 8am on December 31.

He then waited more than two hours outside his son in law’s house for the couple to arrive home after spending three nights in a hotel celebrating their one year wedding anniversary.

Veton and Lindita Musai were shot dead by Osman Shaptafaj. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Shaptafaj was “incensed” that Veton had not asked his permission to marry his only daughter, nor been invited to their wedding a year earlier.

As Lindita and Veton waited on the front doorstep, Shaptafaj crept up behind them and shot them in quick succession.

Shaptafaj then fled to a nearby golf course, where he shot himself twice in the head in what Justice Tinney described as “cowardly”.

He survived but sustained an acquired brain injury and lost his right eye.

Shaptafaj pleaded guilty to the murders in February, 2021.

Osman Shaptafaj shot dead his daughter and son-in-law. Picture: Facebook

Drilon Musai told an pre-sentence hearing last year he and his brother were more like twins who had lived under the same roof for their entire lives.

At the time of the murders, the siblings had been building side-by-side townhouses for their families.

“When he passed away he took half of me with him,” Mr Musai said.

“I never thought I would have to sit down and plan my brother and sister-in-law’s funeral just a year after planning their wedding,” he said.

Mr Musai’s tearful victim impact statement was one of 28 submitted to the court from heartbroken relatives and friends.

Justice Tinney said the couple’s loss will be felt “tragically and forever”.

In setting a non-parole period of 35 years, Justice Tinney accepted Shaptafaj is likely to die behind bars.

“What you planned was the cold-hearted, premeditated, vicious and cowardly murder of two defencelss people, one of whom was your own daughter,” he said.

“You must be sentenced in a way that reflects the shocking seriousness of your cimes,” he said.