According to investigators, someone walked up to the passenger’s side of 30-year-old Gelareh Bagherzadeh’s car and shot her in the head.
Bagherzadeh’s body was found inside her running car, which crashed into a garage, detectives said.
“When the officer arrived, the car’s tires were still spinning,” Officer J.C. Padilla said. “He had to reach in and turn off the motor.”
“We don’t know if she was being followed at the time,” Sgt. Richard Bolton said.
Investigators said Bagher-zadeh was doing genetic research studies at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and was an only child.
Officers said Bagherzadeh phoned her ex-boyfriend. It wasn’t clear if she called him just before or just after the shooting, but most likely just before.
“He said she screamed for her life,” said Lorena Lopez, one of Bagherzadeh’s close friends in Houston. “He heard screeching and he assumed it was a car accident.”
Bagherzadeh was part of Sabz Houston, a local Iranian organization that supports the green opposition in Iran. Bagherzadeh was outspoken in her criticism of the Islamic Republic in a series of interviews with the Houston Chronicle.
Bagherzadeh’s purse and cell phone were still inside the car, so investigators are not sure what the motive for the killing may be.
Lopez said the former boyfriend went to the family’s home after getting the call from the dying woman. While they no longer had a romantic relationship, Bagherzadeh and her former boyfriend remained close, said Lopez. “They were just really good friends,” Lopez said.
Friends commemorated Bagherzadeh’s life with notes on her Facebook page. “Gelareh was one beautiful soul, kind, happy and full of love,” one friend said. “Gelareh was a determined activist against Iranian government, seeking freedom for her fellow countrymen.”
Another friend said Bagherzadeh “was a beautiful and fun girl, and she was working towards a career where she could be the one to save lives, we love you Gail.”
