Who killed Gelareh Bagherzadeh? Details explored ahead of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler

Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old Iranian-American activist and medical student, was killed on January 15, 2012, outside her parents' residence in Houston, Texas. Her killing was subsequently found to be an "honor killing" that had been planned by Ali Irsan, a Muslim Jordanian immigrant.

According to court documents, Irsan killed Bagherzadeh because he thought she had persuaded his daughter, Nesreen Irsan, to become a Christian and marry Coty Beavers, an American. The murder was carried out by Ali’s son, Nasim Irsan, who shot Bagherzadeh through her car window.

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The motive behind Gelareh Bagherzadeh's murder

According to CBS News, the district attorney stated that Ali Irsan’s motive for killing Gelareh Bagherzadeh stemmed from his strict control over his family and his belief in preserving honor. Ali blamed Bagherzadeh for inducing his daughter Nesreen to go out of the house, convert, and wed Coty Beavers, a choice that went against his will and tradition.

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The night of Gelareh Bagherzadeh's murder

According to CBS News, on January 15, 2012, Gelareh Bagherzadeh was shot sitting in her vehicle in front of her parents' house in Houston's Galleria district. She had been on the phone with her former boyfriend when Nasim Irsan walked up to her car and shot several rounds through the passenger window with a .38 caliber handgun.

Witnesses heard gunshots before her car struck a garage door. Police found her leaning over the steering wheel with the engine still running and tires spinning. Her wallet and phone were left in the car, eliminating the motive of the robbery.

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Investigation and legal proceedings

According to CBS News, the investigation of Bagherzadeh's murder was slow to start as a result of the absence of clues. Detectives started to associate her death with Ali Irsan upon discovering her intimate relationship with Nesreen Irsan.

Ali was arrested in 2014 on other, unrelated charges of fraud, and while in custody, the authorities could construct their case against him for both Bagherzadeh's murder and the murder of Coty Beavers nine months later. Prosecutors contended that the two murders were premeditated punishments for those who crossed Ali. In 2018, Ali Irsan was tried for capital murder.

According to Fox Houston 26, during the trial, key witnesses, including his daughter Nesreen Irsan-Beavers, testified in court that he was violent with his own family. He also had several outbursts during the trial itself.

The jury found Ali guilty of both murders and sentenced him to death. His wife, Shmou Alrawabdeh, who had spent several years in jail for fraud, cooperated with the prosecutors during the time and confessed to being present for both murders. She will be eligible for parole in 2026. Nasim, their son, pleaded guilty to murder in 2019 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

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Relation to the murder of Coty Beavers

According to the Houston Chronicle, another notable aspect of this case is the fact that it has a connection to the murder of Nesreen Irsan's husband, Coty Beavers. Beavers was murdered in November 2012 under similar conditions when Ali Irsan entered his apartment and shot him dead.

Prosecutors had argued that the two murders were part of a scheme by Ali to punish those he felt had brought "dishonour" to his family—Bagherzadeh for being a supporter of Nesreen's independence and Beavers for marrying her after she became a Christian. According to Oxygen.com, Ali Arsan still remains on death row.

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For more details on Gelareh Bagherzadeh's case, watch Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler, on Oxygen.