Redmond Police Ramin Khodakaramrezaei is the suspect, police say.
Ramin Khodakaramrezaei was identified by Redmond, Washington, police as the man accused of stalking and murdering a podcast host and her husband, according to a news release from Redmond police.
The victims were podcast host Zohreh Sadeghi, 33, and her husband, Mohammed Naseri, 35, Daily Beast reported.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and the Redmond community following this horrific tragedy,” said Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe in the news release. “This is an incredibly sad situation and the worst possible outcome of a stalking case. We will continue investigating what led to this tragic loss.”
“Upon entering the home, officers discovered a male and female deceased inside from gunshot wounds. The stalking suspect, 38-year-old Ramin Khodakaramrezaei, was the deceased male inside the home,” police wrote in the news release.
Heavy contacted Redmond police spokeswoman Jill Green to ask the name of Sadeghi’s podcast, but she said that she was still looking into that.
Here’s what you need to know:
Police Responded to a Call of Shots Fired at Zohreh Sadeghi’s Home
According to the news release posted on the police website, Redmond Police “responded to a report of shots fired in a home in the 16700 block of NE 89th St. at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Friday, March 10. Three people are deceased after a suspected stalker broke into the home.”
When officers arrived at the scene, “they found a man who lived in the house lying on the floor. Officers pulled him outside, where they discovered he had been shot,” the release says.
“Officers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene,” it says.
Police spokeswoman Jill Green said in a news conference posted on the KOMO News website that, around 2 a.m., police were dispatched to a residence for the report that shots were fired.
Ramin Khodakaramrezaei Broke Into the Home Through a Window & Zohreh Sadeghi’s Mother Escaped, Police Say
In the news conference, Green said that Sadeghi’s mother had escaped the home, and she went to a neighbor’s house to report the crime. Once officers arrived “we saw a male in the front yard and discovered he had a chest gunshot wound,” Green said. He was pronounced deceased, she said, adding that he was Sadeghi’s husband.
“When we entered the residence we discovered the wife, who was a stalking victim,” Green said. That’s also where police found the deceased suspect, according to Green.
She said the suspect broke into the home “through a window.”
According to Green, Sadeghi, her husband, and her mother all lived in the home and were the only people home at the time. “He had an altercation with the mother,” she said of the suspect. According to Green, Khodakaramrezaei “shoved her, and she was able to escape to the neighbor’s.”
Police Say Ramin Khodakaramrezaei Had Listened to the Female Victim’s Podcasts & She Filed a Restraining Order Against Him
According to the police news release, Khodakaramrezaei “had reportedly listened to the female victim’s podcasts and began communicating with her. The victim and suspect became friends, but when things escalated, she filed a no-contact order against him.”
“Redmond officers and detectives were familiar with the victim and residence because of the ongoing stalking investigation,” the release says.
“Our hearts are heavy today as many woke to learn about the tragic shooting in our community overnight. Please join me in sending deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends, and strength and appreciation to our Redmond Police team who responded to and are investigating this horrific tragedy,” Mayor Angela Birney said in a statement posted to the City of Redmond’s Facebook page.
The podcaster’s home is assessed at more than $1 million, according to Red Fin.
“I do know that he had a no contact restraining order against him, and I am not sure how long that’s been but we are aware of that now,” Green said in the news conference.
Ramin Khodakaramrezaei Was a Trucker With Ties to Houston, Texas
Online records give Khodakaramrezaei’s address as being in Houston, Texas. He had also previously lived in Los Angeles, California, according to public records reviewed by Heavy.
He had worked as a trucker, according to The New York Post.
Ramin Khodakaramrezaei Was Accused of ‘Barraging’ the Victim With Messages
Green told Daily Beast that Sadeghi met Khodakaramrezaei “when he started tuning in to her podcast.”
“He had begun listening to her podcast and started emailing her and messaging her, just starting conversations about the podcast, and my understanding is that they became friends,” Green told The Daily Beast.
“He just started barraging her with messages until it escalated to where she decided to file a no contact order,” Green told the publication.
“People do feel safe here. and they should feel safe here. It is a very safe city most of the time. It’s just a really unfortunate event that happened. I’m not sure what could make someone do that to be honest,” Green said in the press conference.
Contacted by Heavy, Green verified that it “is true” that the suspect was accused of barraging the victim with messages.
She said it went on for “many months, even close to a year.”
“This is just a tragedy. A tragic situation. We don’t often see that in Redmond. We may never know why somebody would do this and go to that length,” she said in the news conference.
READ NEXT: Alex Murdaugh’s Net Worth.