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Adan Farrid Katami of Antioch, California, was fatally shot at point-blank range while driving in the Cherryland area in his truck on July 13, 2013. He was shot multiple times, which is why authorities declared the killing a targeted crime. Officers reported that the shooter, who had been waiting for the victim in a car, fled on foot while the getaway driver, a woman, drove away from the scene.
Both suspects, Johnny Wright Jr. and Chariott Burks, were later arrested in San Lorenzo and charged with murder. The investigation soon led to a marijuana grower named Tikisha Upshaw and her associate, Wessley Brown, revealing an intricate murder plot. Upshaw and Brown reportedly hired the two hitmen to have Katami murdered likely for financial gain.
Snapped on Oxygen is slated to chronicle Adan Farrid Katami's murder-for-hire case in an episode titled Tikisha Upshaw. The episode will delve into the details of the events that led to the unfortunate incident. The official synopsis of the episode states:
"When a beloved father and driven entrepreneur is fatally shot at a busy California intersection, authorities discover a recent business venture that led one partnership to turn deadly."
The all-new episode airs on the channel this Sunday, August 27, 2023, at 6 pm ET.
Adan Farrid Katami was shot at point-blank range while on his way to pick up his four-year-old daughter from Memphis
According to reports, Adan Farrid Katami, a father and entrepreneur from Antioch, was on his way to pick up his four-year-old daughter from Memphis, Tennessee, in the afternoon hours of July 13, 2016, when he was fatally shot at point-blank range. The incident occurred in the Cherryland area of North Hayward, California.
The Pioneer reported that Katami stopped in his red Dodge truck while traveling south on Meekland Avenue around 1 pm. He was waiting to make a left turn on Blossom Road when a gunman got out of a red Jeep Wrangler, approached his Dodge truck and shot the 38-year-old several times at point blank range.
After firing the shots, the shooter fled on foot towards the nearby railroad tracks while the individual driving the Jeep Wrangler drove away. Following this, first responders soon arrived at the crime scene and declared Katami dead.
In the following days, Sheriff's deputies used dogs, a helicopter, and surveillance footage to search for the suspects. This culminated in Johnny Wright Jr.'s arrest in San Lorenzo since his "distinctive shoes matched those of the suspect depicted in the video surveillance." Several witnesses later identified him as the shooter. A 25-year-old woman named Chariott Burks was also arrested in the red Jeep Wrangler.
CBS News reported that Burks informed officers that her Wright had rented the red Jeep. After the arrest, Burks waived her rights before offering key information to detectives and implicated herself in Katami's shooting death. Both Wright and Burks were charged with murder and additional charges. However, it remained unclear how they were linked to the victim.
Was Adan Farrid Katami's shooting death a murder-for-hire case?
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, a months-long investigation continued into Adan Farrid Katami's killing as detectives tried to link Johnny Wright Jr. and Chariott Burks to the victim. They soon shifted their focus to Katami's background and learned that he had a "falling out" with his partner, Tikisha Upshaw, in their marijuana-growing business.
The outlet reported that Alameda County Sheriff Sgt. Ray Kelly said:
"In the drug business that’s not unusual. It appears that she wanted Katami eliminated from the picture."
Upshaw was also arrested and accused of hiring Wright and Burks to commit the crime. Moreover, she was charged with murder and other charges later that year. Aside from that, one of Upshaw's associates, Wessley Brown, was also charged with murder in late December. Brown was reportedly the go-between for Upshaw and the two hired hitmen.
Adan Farrid Katami's murder case features on Oxygen's Snapped this Sunday.
