Suvechha Sarkar
Emad Tawfilis was a 48-year-old businessman, a dutiful father, and a beloved husband. However, his life came to a tragic end in March 2015, when he was brutally shot in Napa Valley, California. It sent shockwaves through the community and left his loved ones grief-stricken. The case is revisited in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Grapes of Wrath’ and Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Tech Bro Murders: Fatal Investment.’ It delves deeper into how an ambitious business partnership in the wine industry spiraled into a deadly confrontation. It also features interviews with the suspect’s other business partners and officials involved in the case.
Emad Tawfilis Was Trying to Escape His Attacker When He Was Fatally Shot
Emad Tawfilis arrived as a bundle of joy in the lives of his parents in 1966. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, surrounded by the immense affection of his parents. He also fostered a close bond with his brother, Magdy Tawfilis. He recalled that Emad enjoyed playing basketball and loved spending quality time with his family and friends. His loved ones also described Emad as a kind person. As he stepped into adulthood, he built a prominent name for himself as a businessman in Silicon Valley and moved to Los Gatos, California. Emad was quite passionate about the movie industry.
Hence, Emad became an investor in the film ‘Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero’ and even acted as an extra in the movie. He had his own investment firm, Lexington Street Investments. Since he was also interested in the wine industry, he became an investor in the Minnesota-based Patio Wine Company. At one point in his personal life, Emad met his soulmate, Adel Tawfilis, and they soon tied the knot in the presence of their family and friends. Over the next few years, they welcomed their two children into the world. However, Emad’s life took a turn on March 16, 2015. He had visited Dahl Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, to meet a business partner and settle some financial matters.
Around 11:49 am, Emad frantically called 911 to report that he was shot and was being chased by a gunman as he fled on foot to save his life. When officials rushed to the scene, they reportedly saw the gunman shooting him where he had collapsed near Hoffman Lane after exiting the vineyard, per court records. Reports state that detectives found a shell casing on the road and later found that it was from a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which had a silencer. The autopsy revealed that Emad was shot five times. It included two gunshot wounds to the upper chest and two to the head. His cause of death was determined to be from a close-range gunshot to the head.
Financial Disputes and Legal Battles Unraveled Into a Lethal Confrontation
Emad had always been interested in the wine business, and so, when he met Robert Dahl in 2011, they began discussing investments. According to official records, Emad gave an initial investment of around $800,000 in cash for Robert’s Patio Wine Company in Minnesota. In total, Emad’s investment firm had invested $1.2 million in the venture. Subsequently, after Robert moved to Napa Valley, California, he opened several businesses, including Napa Point Winery and California Shiners, in 2013. He reportedly promoted and began running Napa Point Brewing, a brewery that later reportedly started losing around $100,000 a month. In the same year, Robert built Dahl Vineyards and began operating the winery and vineyard. However, problems arose when he was unable to pay his loan back to Emad.
Ultimately, Emad’s firm, Lexington Street Investments, filed a lawsuit against Robert on August 25, 2014. The court records showed that he claimed Robert was misusing the investment funds and alleged that he was using them for Dahl Vineyards and Napa Point Brewing. Moreover, Emad reportedly was upset when he learned that Patio Wine Company had been defunct. Robert also filed a lawsuit against Emad, claiming that the investor was seeking more than the legal amount. Emad then hired a private investigator and learned that Robert was previously convicted of theft by swindling in 1989 and again for theft in 1990. For both convictions, he had reportedly served 90 days in prison. Eventually, the court issued an injunction against Robert, shutting down both the wine-making and the wine-selling operations of Dahl Vineyards.
Reports state that shortly after, Robert’s equipment, cars, and wine barrels were taken away. However, it began to seem that they reached a breakthrough as Emad and Robert’s lawyers came to an agreement. To further discuss the details about how much Robert needed to pay Emad, the former wanted to meet at Dahl Vineyards. According to their lawyers, they were on a conference call with both of them, at which they reached an impasse. So, the lawyers ended the call to allow both parties to settle the matter. Following that, Emad called 911 to report that he had been shot and was being pursued and fired upon by Robert. He was still on the call when officials arrived, but he fell near the road right after exiting the vineyard. As per reports, officials then allegedly saw Robert shoot Emad in the head at close range.
Robert Dahl Died From a Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Before His Arrest
As per the official records, Robert was pursuing Emad through the vineyard in his SUV and was allegedly shooting at him. When detectives arrived at the scene, they saw him standing over Emad with the gun in his hand. Robert then reportedly fled in his car, which led to a 10-mile chase to a wooded area off Wall Road, where he crashed into a gate on private property. When officials rushed to the vehicle, they discovered Robert dead from a gunshot wound to his head. Upon searching the car, they found more than 1000 rounds of ammunition and a spent shell casing.
The autopsy revealed that Robert’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Further investigation revealed that he was in possession of gloves, a tarp, and duct tape, suggesting that other individuals might have been targeted. Investigators reportedly found a manifesto authored by Dahl that claimed, according to police summaries, that he believed Emad was trying to ruin his life. It led them to deduce that Robert was allegedly trying to get Emad to sign the document as a confession. Ultimately, Robert passed away before he was arrested at the age of 47.
Read More: Roxanne Fricke Murder: What Happened to Michael Fricke?
