Suvechha Sarkar
In early 2015, the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, witnessed a shocking incident when Tahereh Ghassemi, a doting mother and a hardworking woman, went missing from her home. Everything turned upside down for her family and the Iranian-American community when her remains were discovered in a desolate area a few weeks later. Investigation soon revealed a chain of betrayal and a meticulously planned murder-for-hire. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Ultimate Betrayal’ offers a comprehensive look at the case, particularly the investigation, which revealed that the person who was once closest to her was actually the reason behind her untimely demise. It also features interviews with her loved ones and officials who played a significant role in the case. It also features interviews with her loved ones and officials who played a significant role in the case.
Tahereh Ghassemi was a Determined Woman Whose World Revolved Around Her Kid
Tahereh was born on June 22, 1960, in the historic city of Bam, Iran, and arrived as a beacon of light in the life of her father and mother, Nosrat. She grew up surrounded by the love and support of her parents, two brothers, and two sisters in her home country. From childhood, Tahereh was very persistent and always succeeded in things she set her mind to. In 1976, at just 16 years old, she married her first cousin, Hamid Ghassemi. A year later, they welcomed their son Hamed into their life. Soon after, her then-husband left for Louisiana with promises to bring his young family over once he had settled. What was supposed to be a temporary separation stretched into decades, and it was not until Hamid was 18 years old that his father finally made arrangements to bring him to the US.
However, Tahereh had to wait another decade before Hamed brought his mother to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2005. After reuniting with Hamid, she discovered he was married to another woman. She filed for divorce on May 22, 2006, and what followed was an eight-year legal battle. However, Tahereh did not let the turmoil deter her, and she started working hard to master English. In 2010, she started working at a Walmart in Denham Springs and gradually climbed the ladder to become the manager. She also loved to cook and aspired to open her own bakery one day. The legal battle of her divorce was resolved in early 2015, and Tahereh was reportedly awarded $1 million alimony alongside two residential properties in her settlement. Everything was going smoothly when her life came to a sudden halt on April 11, 2015.
Tahereh Ghassemi’s Remains Were Found in a Remote Wooded Area
On April 11, 2015, Hamed returned home at night to find that Tahereh was not home. Her car was gone from the driveway, but a boiling pot was still on the stove. As he noticed nothing was amiss, he assumed her mother was at her friend’s house. However, the following morning, Hamed discovered the purse that her mother always carried with her was in the home. This prompted him to call Tahereh, but it went unanswered. When he called her workplace, he was reportedly informed she had been to work. However, when she did not return that night or even call Hamed back, he decided to go and check at Walmart the following morning. To his horror, he discovered that he had been given the wrong information and Tahereh had actually not been to work.
This prompted Hamed to inform the police immediately. When the officials arrived at Tahereh’s home, they found nothing was amiss. However, they reportedly noticed her purse and identification were still in the house. Additionally, Hamed’s bed had a missing comforter, which his mother allegedly wanted to change. An investigation was soon launched, and only a few hours later, her car was found burned a few miles away from her home. Several clues led the investigators to the remains of Tahereh in a wooded area of St. Helena Parish on May 16, 2015. She was wrapped in a comforter and laid in a shallow grave. The surroundings of the crime scene had bits of cotton and polyester. It was determined that her cause of death was due to a gunshot wound to the head. This officially turned the missing person case into a homicide investigation.
Investigators Found Strong Evidence Pointing Towards Four Perpetrators
Initially, the detectives turned their interest towards Tahereh’s son, Hamid. They reportedly had a strained relationship, and the day before her disappearance, he had texted her that he would move out. Additionally, he stood to benefit most from her death because he would inherit her vast divorce settlement. However, he was ruled out as a suspect when Hamed informed the officials that he had also been attacked just a few days before. Tahereh’s close friend reportedly recalled that she had expressed fear because she felt someone was following her. When the police checked the CCTV footage that captured the backyard of Hamid’s house, they spotted a car around the time his mother went missing.
Detectives soon found a lead when two car dealers, Tommy Brignac and Zeke Avci, came forward. They recognized the vehicle’s unique features and reportedly informed the officials that their dealership had it. Surprisingly, this dealership was owned by Tahereh’s ex-husband, Hamid Ghassemi. When detectives questioned him, they discovered that the car had been sold recently at an auction. However, his complicated relationship with Tahereh and Hamed raised several questions. On checking his cellphone records, officials found he had made a short call at midnight, around the time she went missing. The call was made to Tyler Lee Ashpaugh, but they could not find any connection between him and Hamid.
Ultimately, Tyler’s Google map searches led them to the location where Tahereh’s remains were found. Initially, he denied his involvement, but he ended up confessing to kidnapping and shooting her. Tyler reportedly claimed that Daniel Humberto Richter, a mechanic at Hamid’s car dealership, had hired him and his friend, Skyler W. Williams, for a murder for hire. After the abduction and the murder were carried out, they were supposed to meet Hamid for the payment of $10,000. Daniel called him from Tyler’s phone when he was not at the location. Hamid had reportedly asked them to come to his residence for the payment and even instructed them to burn his ex-wife’s car.
On May 17, 2015, he was arrested for the first-degree murder of his ex-wife along with Daniel, Tyler, and Skyler. Tyler passed away on January 27, 2023, while he was still in custody. Daniel and Skyler both pleaded guilty to Manslaughter and were sentenced to 30 years in prison in August 2023. Hamid’s jury trial started in August 2023, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on September 19, 2023. However, he passed away while he was still in custody on November 28, 2024. As of writing, Skyler is serving his sentence in the Louisiana Department of Corrections, located on Mayflower Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Daniel is incarcerated at David Wade Correctional Center on Bell Hill Road, Homer, Louisiana.
Read More: Hamed Ghassemi: Where is Tahereh and Hamid’s Son Now?
