TEHRAN — 1934 · Serial Murder
The "Asghar the Murderer" Case
Ali Asghar Borujerdi is known as the first serial killer recorded in 20th-century Iran. Having moved as a child with his family to Ottoman-ruled Iraq, he committed numerous killings in Baghdad. After returning to Iran in 1933 he committed further killings in Tehran within a year; most of his victims were young men. After his arrest he was tried for killing 33 people in total, eight in Iran and the rest in Baghdad. His appeal was rejected and in the summer of 1934 he was executed before a large crowd in Tehran's Sepah Square. Historians highlight the case as an important example in the shaping of modern policing, forensic medicine and the press in Reza Shah's Iran.
- Date
- 1934
- Place
- Tehran Province, Iran, Tehran, IR
- Category
- Serial Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 35.6892, 51.3890 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1893Ali Asghar Borujerdi was born in Borujerd.
- 1933He returned to Iran from Baghdad.
- 1934He was arrested in Tehran and tried for 33 killings.
- June–July 1934He was executed in Tehran's Sepah Square.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Asghar the Murderer en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Cambridge Core — Serial Murder in Tehran (Comparative Studies in Society and History) cambridge.org ↗
- Wikipedia
- Comparative Studies in Society and History
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.