“The Ultimate Betrayal”: Dateline Reports on Tahereh Ghassemi Homicide May 3 2025

This Saturday, May 3, 2025, Dateline NBC will air a two-hour special titled “The Ultimate Betrayal” at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT. The episode delves into the shocking murder of 54-year-old Tahereh Ghassemi, a woman who disappeared from her Louisiana home in 2015. Reporter Andrea Canning presents a detailed investigation into the case, which unravels a calculated murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by Tahereh’s ex-husband, Hamid Ghassemi.

Through interviews with law enforcement, family members, and even one of the hired hitmen, the episode chronicles the investigation that uncovered betrayal, financial motives, and the lengths Hamid went to avoid a costly divorce settlement. The special offers an in-depth look at how authorities pieced together the puzzle, ultimately bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Tahereh’s Journey to America and Troubled Marriage

Tahereh Ghassemi was born and raised in Iran, where she married Hamid Ghassemi at a young age. Shortly after learning she was pregnant, Hamid left Iran to pursue studies in the United States, promising to bring Tahereh and their son Hamed to America once he was settled. Over the next several years, Hamid built a successful life in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, operating a pizza shop and later a luxury car dealership.

By 2005, Tahereh was finally able to move to the U.S., fulfilling a long-held dream. But her arrival was not the start of the idyllic life she imagined. Instead, she discovered that Hamid had secretly married another woman while she was still in Iran. The revelation devastated Tahereh and marked the beginning of the end of their marriage. Despite this betrayal, the couple’s divorce proceedings dragged on for nearly eight years, as Hamid resisted financial obligations.

In January 2015, a court ordered Hamid to pay Tahereh over $1 million and transfer ownership of two residential properties to her. This legal defeat set the stage for a deadly plot, as Hamid sought to avoid the financial burden imposed by the divorce settlement.

A Mysterious Disappearance and a Son’s Search

On April 11, 2015, Tahereh failed to return home after dinner plans with her son Hamed fell through. Hamed discovered a pot of rice left cooking on the stove but no sign of his mother or her car. Initially assuming she had visited a friend, Hamed grew concerned after two days of silence and conflicting information from her workplace. He contacted police, launching a missing person investigation.

Investigators found no immediate signs of forced entry or foul play inside Tahereh’s home, but Hamed’s missing bedspread raised suspicion. Surveillance footage from businesses near her home showed a Chevrolet Tahoe driving in the area around the time of her disappearance. Employees from Hamid’s dealership identified the vehicle as one from their lot, drawing attention to Hamid’s possible involvement.

While police initially considered Hamed a person of interest due to recent tensions between him and his mother, the focus soon shifted to Hamid after investigators uncovered further evidence.

The Investigation Breaks Open

A pivotal clue emerged from Hamid’s phone records, showing a brief call placed around midnight on the night of Tahereh’s disappearance to a number Hamid had never dialed before. The call led detectives to 20-year-old Tyler Ashpaugh, a troubled young man who had recently relocated to Baton Rouge. Digital analysis of Ashpaugh’s phone revealed GPS data showing he had traveled to a remote area in St. Helena Parish shortly after Tahereh went missing.

Authorities searched the location and found traces of polyester stuffing leading into the woods. Following the trail, they uncovered a freshly dug grave containing Tahereh’s body, wrapped in a missing comforter from her son’s bedroom. The grim discovery confirmed their worst fears and shifted the case from a disappearance to a homicide.

When confronted, Ashpaugh confessed to participating in Tahereh’s kidnapping and murder. He implicated two others: Skyler Williams and Daniel Richter, the latter a mechanic employed at Hamid’s car dealership. Ashpaugh explained that Hamid had hired Richter to arrange the killing, offering $10,000 to eliminate his ex-wife.

The Murder Plot and Its Execution

According to Ashpaugh’s confession, he and Williams waited outside Tahereh’s home and ambushed her as she stepped outside. They dragged her inside, where Richter joined them. Believing they could kill her quietly, the men injected Tahereh with insulin in an attempt to induce a fatal reaction. When she remained alive but unconscious, they wrapped her in Hamed’s comforter and placed her in the trunk of her own car.

The men drove to the secluded wooded area, planning to bury her. However, upon opening the trunk and hearing her moaning, Ashpaugh shot Tahereh in the head. To cover their tracks, they buried her body and torched her car at a separate location. Days later, Hamid paid Richter the promised sum for orchestrating the crime.

Investigators arrested all four men. Hamed, already grappling with his mother’s disappearance, was devastated to learn that his father was behind the murder and had also intended to have him killed to avoid financial obligations.

Trial and Sentencing

Prosecutors initially offered Ashpaugh a plea deal in exchange for his testimony against Hamid. Before he could testify, Ashpaugh died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody. Authorities turned to Richter, who agreed to testify in exchange for a 30-year manslaughter sentence. Skyler Williams also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a similar sentence.

Hamid Ghassemi stood trial in August 2023 at age 72. After deliberation, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for hiring the men to kill his ex-wife. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hamid remained incarcerated until his death from natural causes in November 2024 at the age of 73.

In the aftermath, Hamed tried to rebuild his life. He married an Iranian woman he had known since childhood and opened his own car dealership, determined to forge a path different from his father’s.

Reflections and Legacy

“The Ultimate Betrayal” highlights the devastating impact of greed and betrayal on a family. The murder of Tahereh Ghassemi shattered lives, leaving a son to reconcile the dual loss of both parents—one murdered, the other imprisoned. Her case stands as a tragic example of how unresolved conflicts and financial disputes can escalate to unthinkable violence.

Through the lens of Dateline NBC’s investigation, viewers gain insight into the meticulous work of detectives, the resilience of a grieving family, and the ultimate pursuit of justice. The episode serves as both a cautionary tale and a testament to the resolve of those who seek accountability in the face of unimaginable betrayal.