A gardener who used to work at the villa of slain Iranian movie director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife has reportedly turned out to be the prime murderer.

The bodies of Mehrjui and his wife Vahideh Mohammadifar were found in the villa on the outskirts of Karaj near the Iranian capital, Tehran, days ago with knife wounds on their necks.

Iranian news outlets say, the former gardener had long had quarrels with the victims over some issues and was among the first people to be arrested by police as a suspect.

The ex-gardener had also robbed the victims� home last year. He had a row with the victims as they had found out about the robbery, according to the sources.

The quarrel had become so intense that the gardener had even threatened Mehrjui�s wife with a knife.

According to the police, however, the suspect refused to confess to murder despite conclusive evidence against him. But he finally confessed and shed light on the mystery surrounding the murder of Mehrjui and his wife.

The murderer confessed to having stolen part of the possessions of the victims from their home after killing them.

Police have seized part of the stolen goods.

Dariush Mehrjui who was a renowned film director, writer, and translator was born in 1939 in Tehran.

The murder of Mahrjui and his wife on October 14, came as a great shock to cinematic figures and other fans who admire him for his artistic masterpieces.

By Iran Front Page