72-year-old Hamid Ghassemi, a used car dealer in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, faces life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder after he hired three men to kill his ex-wife in 2015 so he would not have to pay her a $1 million judgment. The first-degree murder verdict was unanimous. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says a proper verdict was rendered
“Unfortunately it was long but justice was still served. It was a little late but we had the right outcome. He’s a dangerous man and I’m glad he’s in jail for the rest of his life.”
Ghassemi paid Daniel Richter, Tyler Ashpaugh, and Skyler Williams $10,000 to kill his ex-wife, 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi, and their son Hamed after the couple divorced. She was killed in April 2015. Moore says it has been a painful eight years for the son and the rest of the family…
“He’s fortunate that he’s alive. And he expressed all of his thanks yesterday and how tough this has been without his mom who was killed at the hands of his dad who he had an estranged relationship with.”
Moore says this was a win for the community and a win for justice. He says his team and all of the law enforcement agencies worked diligently on this case.
“A lot of hard detective work and follow-up work in our office. Also, the defendant was well-represented by a seasoned lawyer and the judge did an outstanding job.”
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19th. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
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