Athens widow writes memoir of husband's life and death at hands of a robber 31 years ago
The story of Iraj Rouhani is of a man who fled certain death in his homeland of Iran due to his religion and position, only to die in his adopted country of America by the hands of a robber who wanted a few pieces of jewelry.
This tragic end to his life occurred on a quiet morning of May 4, 1993, in downtown Athens.
Rouhani, the owner of Solid Gold Jewelry on Clayton Street, was shot to death not long after opening the store for that day's customers.
This man's life in Iran, the escape to safety in America, the crime, the trial and the aftermath are described in a recently released book written by his wife, Nasrin Rouhani, who has maintained their residence in an Athens neighborhood since his death 31 years ago.
“The Man Behind the Showcase: A True Story of Facing Losses with Courage, Faith & Love,” details the story of this man, described as having a love for horticulture and his family and a devotion to his religion, the Bahai faith. She published the memoir through Barnes & Noble.
After her husband’s death to a violent act, many people asked about their life abroad and how it brought them to America, Rouhani said.
Iraj Rouhani had a doctorate degree and was a professor of horticulture at a university in Iran. During the Islamic Revolution of 1979, he was marked for death for his religion and his position as a professional. After securing his passage to the U.S., he opened his jewelry store in Athens as a means to support his family.
“I have repeated this story so many times. I feel like that maybe this is my duty,” Nasrin Rouhani said about why she wrote the memoir.
“It had more healing power than sharing it verbally with people. I feel like I’ve done what I could,” said Rouhani, who was a nurse for many years at St. Mary’s Hospital. At the hospital, she had many people ask about their escape from Iran.
“I’d tell them the story of how he escaped and they’d say, ‘You have to write a book,'” she said.
And the book evolved from that fateful day in 1993.
Rouhani well remembers the spring morning her husband left for work. He took seeds and spread it on the railing of the back deck. A cardinal had been visiting the backyard and he wanted his wife to watch for “the red bird” and enjoy its beauty while he was away.
“He left and he never came back,” she said.
Iraj Rouhani, who was 58, went to the store, where at about 10 a.m. a gunshot exploded. The sound caught the attention of Irvin Alhadeff, who was working next door in his shop Masada Leather.
What happened next was a series of events where citizens and police worked together to capture the suspect within minutes of the crime.
Athens lawyers John Timmons and Steve McElwee had just left breakfast at The Grit and were walking to McElwee’s office.
“We saw this guy come running down Washington Street; not in the sidewalk. It wasn’t long that Irvin came around the corner screaming, ‘He shot somebody,' or words to that effect,” Timmons recalled.
Both lawyers went in pursuit. Another Athens attorney, Jeff Rothman, heard the commotion and told a newspaper reporter at the time he thought it was a shoplifting. He joined a third officer as they searched the streets.
Timmons and McElwee lost sight of the suspect when he crossed the crest of College Avenue, but someone at a bus stop pointed toward a parking garage after Timmons asked if anyone had seen the running man.
McElwee kept going down Washington Street. Timmons remained on Clayton and encountered Athens-Clarke police officer Eddie Washington, who was in the process of putting the suspect in handcuffs. Timmons noticed the suspect, whose hand was bleeding, was no longer wearing his sweat jacket, so he and policeman Tim Reynolds went into the parking garage.
Timmons saw a blood trail from the suspect in the garage. He and Reynolds found the sweatshirt jacket under a car. Inside the garment was the VCR surveillance video removed from the camera in Solid Gold. The video contained critical evidence used during the trial including the sounds of the robbery, Rouhani's voice, and the gunshot.
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Today, Timmons and McElwee still live in Athens. The police officers, Reynolds, who was a former football player for the University of Georgia, and Washington, who later worked for the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office, both died in 2022.
Timmons said he is grateful he and others played a role in the apprehension of the suspect.
“At the time I didn’t know the family and their story. When that all came out, it made it excessively sad,” he said.
Timmons said he is glad that Nasrin Rouhani has put the story in book form for others to read these many years later. The book, he said, helps ensure Rohani’s story will be long lasting.
During the trial in 1994, the suspect, Ronald Henry, a 24-year-old man from Atlanta, was convicted of murder. Prosecutors asked for the death penalty, but the jury imposed life without parole.
Today, Henry remains in a state prison. He is now 54 years old. In recent years, he has personally filed handwritten motions to vacate his conviction. None have been granted.
Rouhani said she has thought many times of visiting and speaking to the man who took the life of her husband and the father of their two children.
On page 354, she wrote a personal reflection directed at him: “An open letter to Ronald Francis Henry.”
That face-to-face meeting has not taken place. But if Henry ever reads the book, he will have a glimpse of what another victim of the crime has endured and has now accepted.
The woman who was once overcome by sadness and loneliness writes about her transformation over the decades.
“I don’t have that sorrow anymore. The sadness is gone, but there are times I really miss him,” she said, “but I have felt his presence so many times.”
And always there is the red bird.
“The red Cardinal is my messenger of peace,” the widow said.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Woman writes memoir of husband's life in Iran, death in Athens
