Family Of Murdered Deer Creek Grad Fighting For Hate Crime Charges

A Deer Creek High School Graduate is murdered in California by an alleged white supremacist. Now his family here in Oklahoma is fighting for hate crime charges to be filed in the case.

Tuesday, September 22nd 2015, 5:45 pm



A Deer Creek High School Graduate is murdered in California by an alleged white supremacist.  Now his family here in Oklahoma is fighting for hate crime charges to be filed in the case.

Shayan Mazroei came to Oklahoma City from Iran when he was just four years old. His family moved to California in the summer of 2013. On Labor Day weekend Mazroei was at a familiar bar in Laguna Niguel playing pool with some friends when prosecutors say Craig Tanber, a white supremacists gang member, stabbed and killed him.

“We were just all completely devastated,” said Madilyn Legaard, Shayan’s longtime girlfriend. 

She and Mazroei's family and friends have launched a "Justice for Shayan" campaign to convince the Orange County District Attorney to investigate and charge this as a hate crime.  National Iranian organizations have also joined the cause.

She says multiple witnesses at the bar heard racist comments before the murder.

“The girl just came up to him and was like, ‘Who is this Iranian guy here? I don’t like him. I don’t like him.’ and from there it just escalated. They kept making remarks toward him. They completely singled him out for no reason,” she said.

Tanber is already facing 76 years to life for the crime. But Legaard wants to make sure he gets the harshest penalty possible and all others involved are charged as well.

“These people should get the harshest punishment possible because they don’t realize how they’ve ruined so many lives,” said Legaard.

A spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney says at this time they didn't have enough evidence to prove this was a hate crime beyond a reasonable doubt. But if anyone wants to bring any other evidence forward they will look at it.

Shayan’s family and friends have started an online petition to present to the DA. 

Learn more about the Justice for Shayan campaign. Or follow them on Twitter @Justice4Shayan 

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