Skip to main content
Global Edition
Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Arrest made in 1983 death of UNO student from Iran

Credit: KMTV Action 3 News
Duration: 04:07s 0 shares 1 views

Arrest made in 1983 death of UNO student from Iran
Arrest made in 1983 death of UNO student from Iran

Authorities have arrested a 67-year-old registered sex offender from Nebraska after the brutal slaying of a UNO student from Iran, Firozeh Dehghanpour.

AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED A67-YEAR-OLD REGISTERED SEXOFFENDER FROM NEBRASKA AFTER THESLAYING OF A U-N-O STUDENT IN1983.AN AUTOPSY REPORT STATESSHE BLED TO DEATH FROM SEVERALSTAB WOUNDS.3 NEWS NOW WESTERN IOWAREPORTER ISABELLA BASCO SHOWS USHOW A COLD CASE GOT REOPENEDALMOST 40 YEARS LATER... DUE TOINCREDIBLE ADVANCEMENTS INFORENSIC SCIENCE.11:59:22 ISABELLA INTRO: ON THEEVENING OF AUGUST 14, 1983, APOTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY DEPUTYRECEIVED A CALL SAYING A DEADBODY HAD BEEN LOCATED.

A COUPLELOCATED IT NEAR THIS BRIDGEWHICH IS APPROXIMATELY THREEMILES NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.10:42:19"AUGUST 14, 1983 HAD TO BE ANUNTHINKABLE NIGHT FOR FIROZEDEHGHANPOUR.."FIROZEH DEHGHANPOUR WAS ANIRANIAN EXCHANGE STUDENTSTUDYING AT U-N-O WHEN A DEPUTYFOUND HER BODY ALMOST 40 YEARSAGO.SEVERAL ITEMS WERE LOCATED ANDRECOVERED AROUND HER...INCLUDING A BRA... A PAIR OFUNDERWEAR... A BLOUSE ANDNOTEBOOKS.10:45:46"OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS,SEVERAL AGENCIES WORKED TOGETHERTO TRY TO FIND FIROZEH’S KILLER,UNFORTUNATELY THE CASE WENTCOLD, HOWEVER THE EVIDENCE THATWAS COLLECTED IN 1983 HAD BEENSTORED AND PRESERVED AT THESHERIFF’S OFFICE IN CASE NEWINFORMATION EVER CAME TO LIGHT."IN THE FALL OF 2020 - THE CASEWAS REOPENED.

WHILE REVIEWINGTHE REPORTS... AUTHORITIES FOUNDEVIDENCE THAT COULD BENEFIT FROMDNA ANALYSIS.10:46:32"IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WERECEIVED A DNA HIT ON BUD LEROYCHRISTENSEN, THEN WE FOCUSED ONOUR INVESTIGATION ONCHRISTENSEN, AND WITHOUT GETTINGINTO TOO MANY DETAILS, WE WEREABLE TO DEVELOP MORE EVIDENCETHAT LINKED CHRISTENSEN TO HERMURDER."ULTIMATELY - CHIEF DEPUTY JEFFTHEULEN SAYS - THIS CASEREVOLVES AROUND ONE QUESTION...10:42:46"THIS REALLY GOES BACK TO HOWYOU DEFINE JUSTICE?"ADVANCEMENTS IN FORENSIC SCIENCEHAVE ALLOWED FOR MORE INSIGHTWHEN IT COMES TO COLD CASES...10:48:22"I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THEFAMILY AND FRIENDS OF HOMICIDEVICTIMS TO NEVER GIVE UPHOPE..."SEEKING THE TRUTH THAT THEFAMILY AND FRIENDS OF FIROZEHDESPERATELY DESERVE...10:48:32"LET FIROZEH’S CASE BE ANEXAMPLE THAT IT IT NEVER TOOLATE TO SEEK ANSWERS."ISABELLA LL TAG: THEPOTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY ATTORNEY’SOFFICE IS LOOKING FOR ANYINFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUTBUD CHRISTENSEN.

REPORTING NEARCOUNCIL BLUFFS...ISABELLABASCO..3 NEWS NOW.AS ISABELLA JUST MENTIONED...THE POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTYSHERIFF’S OFFICE IS ASKING IFYOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION TOSHARE ABOUT THE CASE.IF YOU DO, PLEASE CALL712-890-22-HUNDRED.AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THISCASE, WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THEROLE D-N-A PLAYS IN COLD CASES.IN IOWA... THERE IS ONLYONE STATE CRIME LAB... SO SOMEPEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING IFTHAT’S WHY IT TOOK 34 YEARS TOSOLVE.**WE TALKED TO U-N-M-C’SCRIME LAB DIRECTOR, DOCTOR JESSECOX - WHO TOLD US THIS HAS MORETO DO WITH ADVANCEMENTS INSCIENCE.BACK IN THE EARLY 80’S, MID 80S’WHEN THEY WERE DOING A LOT OFTHIS TESTING, THE TECHNIQUESTHEY WERE USING THEY NEEDED ALOT OF DNA TO GET GOOD RESULTS.OVERTIME, OUR TECHNIQUES HAVEBECOME MORE REFINED.

SO WE’REUSIG PCR AND THAT TAKES A REALLYSMALL PIECE OF DNA THACOULDN’T HAVE BEEN USED DECADESAGO, AND NOW WE CAN AMPLIFY THATUP.

FROM ONE COPY TO SAY, ATRILLION COPIES OVER THE COURSEOF A REACTION.

SO BY USING THESETECHNIQUES WE CAN AMPLIFY THATDATA OUT OF SMALL SAMPLES.

A LOTOF IS THE TECHNICAL INNOVATIOVER TIME, WHICH ALLOWS US TO GOBACK OVER TIME OVER THESEHISTORICAL CASES.WE ALSO ASKED DOCTOR COXMORE ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS WORKSIN THE DNA LAB.*WE POSTED THE ENTIREINTERVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE, 3

You might like