It’s been two years since someone walked up to the door of Rostam Poulad’s Upper Lonsdale home, shot him and left him to die.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is hoping a fresh plea for information from his grieving family will encourage someone from the Persian community to come forward with information that will open up the cold case.
Poulad was a popular Persian concert and cultural event promoter in the Lower Mainland. Police believe the suspect may have come to the home on the 4000-block of St. Georges Avenue on Nov. 30 under the guise of purchasing tickets to a Persian concert.
Neighbours told police they saw the man with an athletic build, about six feet tall, with short dark hair jog across the street following the shooting, and then take off in a silver or grey import vehicle.
North Vancouver RCMP and West Vancouver police set up roadblocks at both the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing and Lions Gate Bridge for two hours in hopes of cutting off the suspect’s escape but to date, there have been no arrests.
IHIT released a video this week featuring Poulad’s daughter Niloo tearfully asking for help in the case.
“Our dad befriended everyone and opened his home to all. Anyone who knew him, knew that he loved being involved in the Iranian community. We believe someone in the Iranian community has some information about my dad’s death and we ask you to please come forward to help,” she said. “Finding the murderer who did this crime will not bring back my dad but it will bring closure to this nightmare that haunts us every day, every minute of our lives.”
The video was also shot in Farsi and has been distributed to Farsi media outlets around North America.
“What we’re trying to do is really just generate the talk and the interest and get people looking at it and thinking about it and, if nothing else, imagining what it would be like to be that family because there’s always potential that somebody out there who didn’t want to talk before might come forward based on what they see,” said Sgt. Stephanie Ashton, IHIT spokeswoman.
Ashton said police have theories as to the motive, but so far, they are only guesses.
“We don’t have a reason. That’s what we’re hoping to get to – that person who can say, ‘There was a dispute’ or something that might lead us in a direction,” she said.
Anyone with information can call the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email at [email protected] or remain anonymous and leave a tip at solvecrime.ca or by phone at 1-800-222-8477.
