Elias Abuelazam

FLINT, MI - One of the most notorious killers in Flint history has continued to act violently in the state's prisons while trying to get the courts to overturn his murder conviction.

Details of Elias Abuelazam's time in prison are detailed in seven different disciplinary reports obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal from the Michigan Department of Corrections through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Abuelazam was convicted in 2012 of first-degree murder for the Aug. 2, 2010, killing of Arnold Minor. He also was charged in two other fatal stabbings and six assault with intent to murder cases, but prosecutors dismissed the cases following his sentence of life in prison without parole for the Minor killing.

In total, he was suspected of 18 attacks that resulted in five killings across three states. He also has admitted to stabbing another person in his hometown of Ramla, Israel.

His case received international attention as media dubbed him a "serial stabber." Abuelazam has continuously attempted to get his conviction overturned, in part due to the pre-trial notoriety that he claims tainted the jury pool.

Despite the pleas to the court, state prison records show Abuelazam has continued to be disciplined for multiple violent interactions with guards and other inmates, including fights, threats and possession of a large shank made from Plexiglas.

Abuelazam's run-ins with prison staff began in November 2012, less than five months after being sentenced to spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

A female guard was making a yard round Nov. 5, 2012, at the Ionia Correctional Facility when she asked Abuelazam if he wanted yard time, according to an MDOC misconduct report.

Abuelazam responded with an expletive-laden onslaught that included a threat to cut the guard's head off.

"I believe if given the opportunity this prisoner would attempt to carry out his threat," the guard wrote in her report.

Abuelazam, during a disciplinary hearing, admitted to making the statement, but attempted to downplay the situation.

He claimed he made the statement because he was angry about the quality of the prison food.

"I apologize if I disrespected her - verbal aggression," Abuelazam said during his disciplinary hearing.

He lost his privileges for 30 days as punishment for the incident.

Less than a month after having his privileges restored, Abuelazam was again accused of threatening prison staff.

A guard at the Alger Correctional Facility claimed he heard loud banging coming from a cell around 1 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2012.

When he responded he claims he found Abuelazam pacing around inside the cell, according to the misconduct report. The guard asked Abuelazam if he was kicking his cell door.

"Yes I was and you will not violate my rights," Abuelazam shouted at the guard. "Open my door."

The guard said saliva sprayed from Abuelazam's mouth. His eyes were wide open and unblinking.

"If you violate my rights, you will be punished," Abuelazam yelled. "Keep violating my rights and I will punish you."

Abuelazam then began pacing around the cell, punching his right fist into his hand.

"You will not violate my rights ... I do what I say ... open my door," he continued.

He lost his privileges for another 30 days for that incident.

While 2013 and 2014 passed will little wrongdoing - only a complaint of possessing inmate-made alcohol was filed in 2014 - Abuelazam's time in prison turned violent in early 2015.

Abuelazam and another prisoner approached each other around 7:45 p.m. under a basketball hoop at the Lakeland Correctional Facility. The two began exchanging punches to the head, according to a misconduct report.

The other prisoner fell to the ground and Abuelazam continued to hit him.

Prison staff had to transfer the other prisoner in an ambulance to the emergency room for injuries sustained in the fight. Abuelazam sustained substantial injuries to hands, face and head. Authorities also located a puncture wound to his lower back and transported him to the emergency room.

Abuelazam was segregated from other inmates for 10 days and again lost his privileges for 30 days.

His potentially violent conduct continued April 1, 2015, when guards found a homemade knife in Abuelazam's cell.

Guards were searching his cell when they discovered a 6.5-inch long piece of Plexiglas in his mattress.

The shank was sharpened on one end and had a cloth handle on the other.

He was again segregated for 10 days despite denying any knowledge of the weapon.

His outbursts again turned toward guards in September 2015 when he was accused of shoving one guard and ignoring the orders of another.

He was given 20 more days of segregation and 60 more days of no privileges for those instances.

Despite the behavioral problems, Abuelazam has continued to petition the courts for his release.

The state appeals court declined to overturn his conviction and the state Supreme Court declined to hear his case.

He filed a lawsuit asking to be extradited back to Israel to stand trial on a stabbing charge, but the case was ultimately dismissed.

His most recent case is a habeas corpus petition filed in Detroit U.S. District Court.

It was filed the same day he was last released from segregation.

Abuelazam claims the trial judge, Genesee Circuit Judge Judith A. Fullerton, deprived him of a fair trial by not moving the case out of Genesee County and erred by admitting evidence of the other attacks.

The case is still pending. He is currently serving his sentence at the Gus Harrison Correction Facility in Adrian.