Christians Under Attack

Less than three months later and on the verge of a new life, police say Ebrahimi used a 3-pound maul hammer and a foot-long knife to kill Koshabeh, her sister and her mother.

Ebrahimi allegedly told authorities that his wife, sister-in-law and mother-in-law had "disrespected" and insulted him before the attacks, authorities said Monday.

"The women had disrespected him and told him he was not a man," said Assistant State's Attorney Sanju Oommen.

Ebrahimi had been scheduled to start a new job on Monday, Oommen said. Instead, he appeared in court where a judge denied bond.

He is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Koshabeh, 44; his sister-in-law, Karolin Khooshabeh, 40; and his 60-year-old mother-in-law, Ileshvah Eyvazimooshabad.

Chicago police had never interacted with Ebrahimi before Saturday, but the family may have had a history of violence, authorities said.

"We're getting signs that there has been some violence in the past ... to what degree I don't know," said Chicago Police Cmdr. Thomas Byrne.

Ebrahimi, Koshabeh and their daughter arrived in the United States on Nov. 29 from Iran and were granted refugee status from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Cmdr. David Sobczyk. Chicago's Assyrian Christian community includes about 100,000 people, making it one of the largest in the country.

Ebrahimi allegedly premeditated the three separate assaults, which took place in two separate apartments on the city's far North Side, Byrne said.

"This was a very difficult scene to be at," Byrne said.

When emergency officials arrived at the adjacent apartment buildings, they found Ebrahimi striking himself in the head with the same maul hammer he used to bludgeon his relatives, Byrne said. A purplish-black wound was visible on the top of Ebrahimi's bald head when he appeared in bond court Monday.

Police also found a 12-inch knife that investigators believe was used in the attacks, Byrne said.

Ebrahimi told police and hospital officials that he had killed the women, authorities said.

"He was lucid," Byrne said.

No one answered the telephone Monday afternoon at the public defender's office, and authorities didn't immediately have information about Ebrahimi's attorney.

A phone call to the public defender's office Monday afternoon went unanswered.

Police were analyzing cell phone video and a note that Ebrahimi left as part of their investigation, Byrne said. Detectives needed the help of FBI linguists because the communications are both in Farsi.

"Right now I wouldn't say it's a suicide note ... but it's more about, again, how he feels disrespected, and that's pretty much a reocurring theme in the note," Byrne said.

Detectives believe Ebrahimi killed his wife around 2 a.m. on Saturday, then called and "lured" his sister-in-law to the same apartment around 6 a.m., Byrne said. He then allegedly went to his mother-in-law's apartment and attacked her there, before calling 911 and reporting he was having trouble breathing, Byrne said.

Ebrahimi also called another family member, who notified police, Byrne said.

When police arrived, they found Ebrahimi hitting himself with the hammer, apparently trying to kill himself, Byrne said. He was treated and released Sunday from a nearby hospital.

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