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Detectives believed suspected killer Ali Irsan lied to them about two 2012 murders in the Houston area, as seen in a preview for the Season 2 finale of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler.
Ali Irsan, father to Nesreen Irsan, stood accused of gunning down his daughter’s best friend, Gelareh Bagherzadeh, as well as Nesreen Irsan’s new husband, Coty Beavers, 10 months apart. Many referred to the deadly acts as being part of separate “honor killings,” in that Ali Irsan was seemingly motivated by perceived slights that went against his extremist Islamic beliefs.
Ali Irsan’s chilling law enforcement interview is featured in a Season 2, Episode 9 clip in which Irsan is seen sitting with two investigators. He is being questioned about the death of Gelareh Bagherzadeh, an Iranian women’s rights activist who supported Nesreen Irsan’s decision to marry Coty Beavers, as previously reported by Oxygen.
Ali Irsan, of Jordan, flat-out said “no” when asked if he ever met Bagherzadeh, his daughter’s best friend.
“I don’t know who’s their friends,” said the suspect. “I don’t know who they talk to.”
Detectives suspect Irsan was lying in interrogation
Sgt. James Dousay of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Homicide Division didn’t buy what the suspect was selling.
“Ali Irsan tried to come across as the caring father who’s just concerned about his daughter,” Sgt. Dousay told Prosecuting Evil. “But I’ve interviewed a lot of people, and his interview was deceptive.”
When further questioned about his involvement with Bagherzadeh’s shooting death, the man continued to deny having any knowledge. He said, “I don’t even know the woman. If I saw her, I would not know her.”
Ali Irsan repeated that he had “nothing to do with that girl.”
“I don’t know her,” he insisted. “I never saw her.”
However, his lies could not get past those looking into the double murder.
“When I say the deception was there, he was showing signs,” Sgt. Dousay continued.
Why was Irsan not arrested sooner?
According to Sgt. Dousay, there were several tell-tale indicators that Ali Irsan might not have been truthful during his face-to-face interview.
“He had to step out several times to go smoke; he would repeat our questions to us,” said Sgt. Dousay. “But ultimately, we didn’t have the evidence we need[ed] to file murder charges on him.”
Detectives had no choice but to show Ali Irsan the door, and even then, the father and homicide suspect admitted nothing.
“You know, I wish I can do anything to help you guys,” he said as he walked out of the interrogation room.
Next, Sgt. Dousay wanted to get a search warrant.
“I wanted to learn about him,” said the investigator. “I wanted to get into Ali Irsan’s world.”
Learn more about the case in the Season 2 finale of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler, airing Saturday, March 22, 2025, exclusively on Oxygen.