San Diego Landlady Links 9/11 Hijackers to Alleged Saudi Spy
In September 1999 a man named Omar al‑Bayoumi moved into Parkwood Apartments in San Diego with his family. The property manager, Holly Ratchford, later recalled him as a “bubbly and friendly” tenant who could help newcomers. Sixteen months later, Bayoumi brought two young men to Ratchford’s office – Nawaf al‑Hazmi and Khalid al‑Mihdhar – who would go on to hijack American Airlines Flight 77 and crash it into the Pentagon.
Ratchford testified that Bayoumi had been the legal guarantor for the men’s apartment lease and even paid their rent when they fell behind. Her statements became a critical piece of evidence in the families of 9/11 victims’ $1 trillion lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, which alleges that Bayoumi and a Saudi diplomat coordinated with the Saudi government to aid the hijackers.
Despite Bayoumi’s denials and a subsequent British arrest in Birmingham, the FBI uncovered documents showing he received a $90,000 annual stipend from companies tied to the Saudi Ministry of Defence, and that his activities included footage of the US Capitol and “anti‑American” writings. The evidence never led to a federal indictment, but court filings in New York have advanced the suit against him and Saudi Arabia.
Ratchford’s life has been shaped by the revelation that a tenant she welcomed into her home helped facilitate one of the world’s deadliest attacks. She now lives in a remote area of the western United States, constantly navigating the lingering shadows of what she witnessed in San Diego.
