Press Release

Family of Shayan Mazroei React to Verdict Finding Craig Tanber Guilty of Their Son’s Murder

December 18, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dr. Niaz Kasravi
Mazroei Family Advocate
(310) 962-2240
justiceforshayan@gmail.com

Newport Beach, California – More than four years after Shayan Mazroei was stabbed to death by white supremacist gang member Craig Tanber, justice was partially delivered. The Mazroei family is disappointed that the jury did not convict Tanber of what was clearly a first degree murder captured on video, but comforted in knowing that he will be held accountable at sentencing. The jury heard evidence that Tanber’s then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Thornburg, spat on Shayan several times, that Tanber called Shayan racist names like “sand n***er” because of his Iranian heritage, and made statements to several witnesses that he had a knife and was waiting to stab Shayan. Despite all of this, the jury found against the weight of the evidence and decide there was not enough to convict of first degree murder. “We knew our son’s killing was first degree murder and a hate crime, and the evidence confirmed what we’ve been saying for four years,” said Shahzad Mazroei, Shayan’s mother. “Nothing will bring our son back, and the jury made this decision without full knowledge of Tanber’s history and his ties with a white supremacist gang, which all seems unfair and unjust,” she added. “We thank the jury for delivering some justice for our family today, but I wish they would have held our son’s killer fully accountable. Our only son was senselessly taken away from us, and we will have to live with that void forever, replaying what was captured on video in our heads forever,” added Hamid Mazroei, Shayan’s father. “Even though this was not charged as a hate crime, based on what everyone heard in court, we all know that Shayan’s murder was motivated by Tanber and Thornburg’s racist and hateful views towards Iranians,” said Dr. Niaz Kasravi, Founder & Director of the Avalan Institute and justice advocate with the Mazroei family. “It took more than four years for the wheels of justice to turn in the right direction, and we wish the jury would have convicted of what we believe is clearly a first degree murder, but we are relieved that Tanber will pay for what he did to the Mazroei family,” she added. Elizabeth Thornburg, who argued with Shayan and spat on him immediately before the murder was charged separately as being an accessory after the fact for allegedly driving Tanber away from the murder scene. She will be tried in the coming months.

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