Morteza Khorassani
September 6, 2005
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
See also Morteza Khorassani in the Canadian Homicides section.
CFMJ-AM 640
(Toronto, Ontario)
September 6, 2005
Teen Charged With Murder in Cabbie Slaying
Sep, 06 2005 - 5:00 PM
TORONTO - Less than 12-hours after the killing of a Toronto cab driver in the Don Mills and Lawrence area, a Toronto teen is now charged with second degree murder.
42-year-old Morteza Khorassani was knifed in the throat while in
his cab around 4 am.
Around 1pm this afternoon Toronto cops arrested 18-year-old
Shane Smith and laid a second-degree murder charge against
him.
Smith was nabbed in the Don Mills and Sheppard area, not too
far north from where the cabbie was killed.
Toronto police confirming to AM640 Toronto News that the taxi
had a video surveillence camera in it, but it's not clear yet if the
murder was caught on tape.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
September 6, 2005
TORONTO -- A taxi driver is dead after being found stabbed in his
cab early Tuesday morning.
The man was discovered with no vital signs and appeared to have been
stabbed in the neck outside an apartment building in the Don Mills
Rd. and Lawrence Ave. area.
The unidentified driver was taken to hospital where he was
pronounced dead.
Investigators followed a trail of blood that originated at the scene
and have arrested two men.
© Global News 2005
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The Globe and mail
(Toronto, Ontario)
September 7, 2005
Man charged with murder in stabbing of taxi driver
By UNNATI GANDHI
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Page A14
With a report from Jennifer Lewington
A 42-year-old Richmond Hill taxi driver was stabbed to death
during an apparent robbery very early yesterday in Don Mills, an
area residents call quiet and safe.
About 3:40 a.m., a man living in the apartment unit next to where
the taxicab was parked was awakened by two short blasts of a
horn.
"There was a whole lot of commotion and I woke up and my
thought was, 'People are moving out this early?' Because the
door is open and there's people going in and out. I didn't realize
they were police officers," said the 44-year-old salesman who
resides at the Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue apartment
building. He did not want to be identified.
From his bedroom window, he could see the taxi driver's head
leaning in the driver's seat.
"I was groggy and sleepy. I looked out and saw a guy sitting with
his head tilted toward the passenger side. I think, you know, he's
taking a snooze waiting for his fare. I didn't think too much of it."
An hour later, about 4:45 a.m., police took two young men into
custody from inside the building before releasing them a few
hours later.
Toronto Police Constable Kristine Bacharach said the two men
were no longer considered suspects.
Police then arrested an 18-year-old man and charged him with
second-degree murder. Constable Bacharach said officers aren't
looking for more suspects.
She added that police will be going through the digital video
footage captured from inside the cab for any other clues.
Morteza Khorassani was taken to Sunnybrook and Women's
College Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced dead.
He is the city's 51st homicide of the year.
The resident described the area as typically quiet. "The sixth
floor is all elderly citizens," he said. "This used to be a safe
neighbourhood. But people are already thinking of moving. It
only takes one [incident] to convince a lot of people to move."
Another resident, who lives on the fourth floor, said he is thinking
of moving out in the next month or so.
"I can't be bothered with it. I've learned from past experience not
to mingle in other people's affairs," said the 53-year-old man who
also did not want to be identified.
"There was a lot of noise all summer long. Not so much
arguments, a little bit of swearing."
The man said he moved to the area five years ago because he
had heard good things about it.
"It is fairly safe. It's just something that happened out of the blue.
It's one of the safest areas that I've been around in Toronto."
A taxi driver who was in the area yesterday said he couldn't
believe what had happened.
"We have to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and we
are hardly paying our bills. No vacation, nothing. And then things
like this happen. It's very sad," said Hamid, who would give only
his first name.
"I work 84 hours a week. I should be a millionaire by now, but I
can't even pay my bills."
As he left a meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board,
Mayor David Miller said: "I am very concerned about the safety
of our taxi drivers. It is a very dangerous job and it is very
difficult in the middle of the night. The initiatives that have been
taken, especially the cameras, are quite effective. Obviously, the
circumstances of this one [incident] will be reviewed and there is
anything more that can be learned we'll learn from it."
Shane Smith of Toronto has been charged with second-degree
murder and is scheduled to appear in court today.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Toronto Sun
(Toronto, Ontario)
September 7, 2005
Fewer attacks with changes
By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN
IN-CAR CAMERAS, outer warning lights and tracking systems
helped cut attacks on Toronto cabbies by 70% in the past five
years, an executive of the Canadian Taxicab Association (CTA)
said.
But Jim Bell, general manager of 500-car Diamond Taxi and
treasurer of the CTA, said the new technology probably wouldn't
have saved an Able Atlantic driver who was murdered early
yesterday.
Morteza "Johnny" Khorassani, 43, was knifed in his car around
3:30 a.m. behind a Don Mills Rd. building near Lawrence Ave. E.
The Richmond Hill father of two, who had been driving for 15
years, preferred night shifts, "perhaps so he could spend more
time with his kids during the day," Able Atlantic manager Philip
Chan said.
The "very reliable" driver leased his Chev Impala cab from a
private owner. It had a wide-angle digital camera, which police
seized.
After attacks on GTA cabbies escalated in the 1990s, including
four killed in eight years and one who survived 14 stab wounds
in late 1999, the city ordered owners to install safety gear.
The gear includes outer emergency lights not visible from inside,
plus either $1,000 digital cameras or $600 GPS units.
In a survey conducted five years ago, about 60% of the city's
12,000 drivers and owners said their first choice for protection
was shields, but they remain optional.
Khorassani's cab didn't have one.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sep. 7, 2005. 04:13 AM
Cabbies slain
Taxi drivers killed in Toronto since 1988:
April 21, 2003: Mohamad Nakib Arbaji, shot to death while trying to prevent a robbery at a Morningside Ave. convenience store.
Dec. 30, 1999: Mohammadullah Saighani, his throat slashed in the parking lot of an Etobicoke factory, the victim of a love triangle.
Feb. 25, 1993: Robert Nancoo, found slain in the front seat of his cab in a North York driveway.
Dec. 10, 1991: Norman Washington Ennis, shot twice in the head during a robbery; found beside his cab on Eglinton Ave. W.
July 1, 1991: Anthony Ekunah, found stabbed to death in his car on Rondeau Dr. in the Steeles Ave. E. and Leslie St. area.
July 24, 1990: Leo Henningham, beaten with a baseball bat after a dispute with another driver over a customer in front of a Weston Rd. supermarket.
Oct. 6, 1988: Baljeet Singh, stabbed to death in an apparent robbery near Jane St. and Finch Ave. W.
Sept. 25, 1988: Michael March, shot in an apparent robbery at Airport and Derry Rds.
July 20, 1988: Wolsey Fraser, shot in an apparent robbery at Runnymede Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W.
Compiled by Astrid Lange,
Star Library
***
NATIONAL POST STORIES
Witnesses sought in cabbie's murder
Global News
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
On Tuesday, September 6, 2005, at approximately 3:43 a.m., police were called to the rear of 1133 Don Mills Road for an unknown trouble.
Officers discovered the lifeless body of a man with an apparent stab wound.
He was taken to Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was believed to be a taxi driver, but his identity is unknown at this time.
Two men were arrested nearby and taken to 33 Division. After an investigation, the two men were released unconditionally.
There is no suspect information at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com
© Global News 2005
***
Teen charged in T.O. cabbie death
Canadian Press
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
CREDIT: Global TV
Police have taped off the scene where a Toronto cab driver was found stabbed to death on Tuesday morning.
[Photo: morteza2.bmp]
TORONTO -- A teenager is facing a charge in the death of a Toronto taxi driver.
Police said Tuesday they have charged 18-year-old Shane Smith with second-degree murder.
The suspect was arrested this afternoon, less than 12 hours after the driver's lifeless body was found in his cab with an apparent stab wound, outside an apartment building in the Don Mills Rd. and Lawrence Ave. area.
The victim has been identified as a 42-year-old Richmond Hill man, Mortoza Khorassani.
An autopsy is to be done tomorrow.
© The Canadian Press 2005
****
Sep. 8, 2005. 01:00 AM
Cabbies gather in mourning at court
Teen accused in taxi driver's death remains in jail
Shaken fellow drivers call for Plexiglas shields
DALE ANNE FREED
STAFF REPORTER
An 18-year-old Toronto man accused of fatally stabbing a taxi driver made his first court appearance yesterday, with about 20 cabbies and two of the dead man's brothers looking on.
Shane Smith, charged with second-degree murder in the death of Able Atlantic cabbie Morteza Khorassani, 42, was remanded into custody until Sept. 29 at the Finch Ave. courthouse.
"You never know who you are going to pick up. This business is a danger," Hadi Khorassani, one of the victim's four brothers, said outside court. The Montreal cabbie drove his taxi to Toronto to be with his brother's family as soon as he heard the news.
"We need protection," he said, calling for Plexiglas shields in cabs. "A camera will identify the person, but that's not enough."
Morteza's widow, Fariba, is lost without him, the brother said. "He had a 4-month-old son (Arian) and an 11-year-old daughter (Pega). He was a good father for his kids. He was a good guy to his friends. I can't believe it's happened."
Cabbies from at least five Toronto taxi companies gathered in tribute to the driver yesterday. Most were of Persian background, like the deceased man.
"We are waiting for the family to come from Iran, France and the Sudan to have the funeral on Saturday," Hadi said. Older brother Hassan, 47, a Toronto truck driver, was too overcome with grief to talk.
Morteza, known to his friends as Johnny, was stabbed in the neck shortly after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. He stumbled out of his cab for help in an apartment parking lot at 1133 Don Mills Rd. An autopsy showed he died of a single stab wound.
Police have suggested robbery or a fare dispute as possible motives. A camera in the cab might have caught his killer on videotape, taxi sources say.
But many drivers want more than cameras, which are to become mandatory in mid-2006.
"We need shields in the cabs," said Aram, a Beck taxi driver. "The cameras malfunction. Sometimes they don't work properly."
Cabbies plan to meet the city's public transportation committee Monday "to talk about Johnny's death" and better protection for drivers, said Ahmet Gulkan, a member of the Taxi Association of Toronto board.
Outside the building where the stabbing occurred, a pot of yellow flowers was left with a note: "We're so sorry. We didn't know. We would have helped if we could. 1133 residents."
Able Atlantic has set up a trust fund for Khorassani's family at the Sheppard Ave. E. and Markham Rd. branch of CIBC.
With files from Henry Stancu
****
Sep. 6, 2005. 06:16 PM
> Toronto Police
> Toronto Crime Stoppers
Man, 18, charged in slaying of cab driver
THESTAR.COM STAFF
Toronto police have charged a man in the murder of a cab driver early today.
Charged is Shane Smith, 18, of Toronto who was arrested shortly after 1 o'clock this afternoon in the Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue area.
He has been charged with second-degree murder and will appear in court for a bail hearing tomorrow morning.
Police were called to the ear of 1133 Don Mills Road at approximately 3:45 this morning whbere they found the lifeless body of Mortoza Khorassani, 42, of Richmond Hill. He was suffering from a stab wound.
He was taken to Sunnybrook hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Emergency Task Force officers searched a nearby building and led two men away in handcuffs.
Police announced at noon today that they were released after an investigation.
The cabbie's death was the 51st homicide of the year in Toronto.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Toronto Sun
Wed, September 7, 2005
'Good guy' cab driver slainDon Mills teen quickly arrested as victim's young family mourns
By ROB LAMBERTI, TORONTO SUN
Forensics experts look at bloodstains in the parking lot of an apartment building on Don Mills Rd. near Lawrence Ave. yesterday after Able Atlantic cab driver Morteza Khorassani was stabbed to death. (Dave Thomas, SUN)
A TEEN has been charged with murder in the death of Able-Atlantic cabbie Morteza "Johnny" Khorassani, who was fatally stabbed behind a Don Mills apartment building yesterday on the day his daughter was to begin a new school year.
The 42-year-old Richmond Hill man was attacked in his cab, parked behind a six-storey Don Mills Rd. apartment building at Lawrence Ave. He stumbled to get help before collapsing in a pool of blood about 15 metres away.
Khorassani was a father of two -- a daughter of about 10 and a 4-month-old son. He and his family, including his wife who attends a Scarborough college, had moved into a Richmond Hill house in September 2004.
Cabs were parked up and down Khorassani's street last night as his co-workers gathered to pay their respects.
Able Atlantic Taxi manager Philip Chan said Khorassani was parked at a gas station at Don Mills Rd. and Sheppard Ave. at 3:30 a.m. when a teen approached and asked for a ride to the apartment.
He said the driver's family is in shock and are being comforted by relatives and victim services counsellors.
ROBBERY THE MOTIVE?
Homicide Det.-Sgt. Ken Taylor said he believes robbery was the motive behind the city's 51st murder of the year.
He said Khorassani managed to put up a fight but was severely injured. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Last night police sealed an apartment on Leith Hill Dr., in the Don Mills-Sheppard area, waiting for a search warrant. Police are also investigating a man in connection with one other robbery.
"Everybody's sad and scared," fellow Able Atlantic driver Paramjit Bajwa said. "We're scared after this incident."
"I feel really bad and unsafe, especially nighttime," said Able-Atlantic driver Sunny, who didn't want to give his last name. He said Khorassani, who emigrated from Iran about two decades ago, was "a hard-working guy. He's such a nice guy."
He said Khorassani began working nights a few years ago because "there are too many cabs during the daytime."
"The city is getting worse and worse every day," Sunny said. "Business and crime, it's getting worse."
Chan and the drivers said they intend to start a trust fund for Khorassani's young family.
A resident of the apartment building, who was too frightened to give his name, said he heard the "tooting of the horn" around 3:40 a.m.
THOUGHT DRIVER ASLEEP
Annoyed at being woken up, the first-floor tenant looked out his bedroom window and saw Khorassani in the driver's seat. "All I could see was the taxi driver, sitting back with his head tilted towards the passenger side," he said.
He said he did hear some shuffling sounds, as if someone was running away but he assumed the driver was either waiting for his fare or taking a nap, and went back to bed. About an hour later, he was woken again, but this time by police scouring the scene.
"The poor guy. Probably because of gas prices going up, he figured maybe he could stay out a couple of more hours, and maybe get a few more bucks," he said. "And this happens. It's sad.
"Never do you think that would happen so close to home," said the man, who moved from Vancouver less than two years ago.
Two men taken into custody from the building for questioning were later released unconditionally. Police hope to see the cabbie video today to see if it captured the killer's face, Det.-Sgt. Taylor said.
Richard, who's been driving taxi for 25 years, was near tears yesterday as he left the Kennedy Rd. office of Able Atlantic.
'I'M SAD AND BITTER'
"He's got a daughter and a newborn baby," he said. "He's got a wife who goes to school. What else do you want to know? He's a good guy ... I'm sad and bitter. We lost a good guy."
Richard, who has been hospitalized by an angry robber, said Khorassani was a good judge of character, but added drivers are taking risks because there's financial stress created by the city having issued too many cab licences.
Coupled with high gas prices, "it causes financial stress. It impairs your judgment."
Shane Smith, 18, was arrested around 1 p.m. yesterday in the Don Mills and Sheppard Ave area and has been charged with second-degree murder.
Next story: Fewer attacks with changes
****
Wed, September 7, 2005
Spree led to safety gear
By Ian Robertson, Toronto Sun
THE MURDERS of several area cabbies -- at a time of increasing violence on defenceless drivers -- led to city officials ordering safety gear installed.
The move came in 2000 shortly after a driver survived a knifing that left him with a punctured lung and 13 other wounds.
Able Atlantic driver Abuhana Quraishi, 42, was attacked on Nov. 7, 1999, by a man he picked up near Victoria Park and Lawrence Aves. and drove to North York. Police called it a failed robbery.
A driver's solved murder the following month was not linked to work, but he was attacked in his cab.
BODY DUMPED
Beck Taxi's Mohammadullah Saighani, 48, had his throat cut by his wife's lover and was dumped near Belfield and Martin Grove Rds. on Dec. 30, 1999.
Sixteen days later another Able Atlantic driver, Mohamad Adnan "Mo" Arbaji, 52, was fatally shot by an unknown killer while trying to stop a store heist near Morningside and Sheppard Aves.
Other unsolved murders:
- Robert Nancoo, 42, a father of five from Trinidad, who was shot in the back of the head in his Royal Taxi on Feb. 25, 1993.
- Norman Ennis, 43, a Beck Taxi driver who was shot twice in the back of the head on Dec. 10, 1991.
Brampton driver Baljinder Singh Rai, 48, was knifed to death Jan. 1, 2000, after giving $90 to two robbers. They are now in jail.
One of the most chilling taxi murders was that of Gary Arthur Newman, 49. He was stabbed 20 times June 29, 2001, on a country road near Barrie. Kelley Thackeray was sentenced to life.
Previous story: Fewer attacks with changes
Next story: Pastor gets $4,500 bail
********
Edmonton Sun
***
Wed, September 7, 2005
Teen accused of slaying Toronto cabby
By CP
TORONTO -- A teen has been charged with second-degree murder after a taxi driver was stabbed to death during an apparent robbery early yesterday.
Morteza Khorassani, 42, was pronounced dead at hospital after apparently being stabbed in his cab, stumbling to get help and then collapsing in a pool of blood.
Det. Sgt. Ken Taylor said Khorassani managed to put up a fight, but was severely injured. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Mayor David Miller said he was very concerned about the safety of taxi drivers.
"It is a very dangerous job and it is very difficult in the middle of the night.
"Obviously, the circumstances of this one (incident) will be reviewed and if there is anything more that can be learned, we'll learn from it."
Shane Smith, 18, of Toronto has been charged with second-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court today.
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Next story: Huge support for oil company - poll
****
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Toronto Star
(Toronto, Ontario)
April 17, 2007
Cabbie's slaying caught on camera, jury hears
Apr 17, 2007 08:50 PM
Nick Pron
Courts Bureau
The September, 2005 slaying of a Toronto cab driver was caught
on film from a camera inside his vehicle, with 13 photos showing
how he struggled with the passenger accused of killing him, a
jury has been told.
Morteza Khorassani, a 42-year-old father of two bled to death
after he was stabbed in the neck by Shane Smith, 18 at the time,
after the cab stopped at an apartment building on Don Mills Rd.,
prosecutor Richard Nathanson told the jurors in his opening
remarks Tuesday.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder. His
lawyer, Stephen Fishbayn, would later tell jurors in his opening
statement that Smith admits that it was he who was in the cab
that early morning.
"He admits there was an incident during which there was a single
stab wound. . . that was fatal and the cause of death," said
Fishbayn.
"However he has entered a plea of not guilty and he does not
admit he intended to kill the deceased or cause any bodily harm
to the deceased."
Nathanson said that Khorassani had been driving a taxi for Able-
Atlantic for 13 years when he picked up Smith about 3.30 a.m.
on Sept. 6, 2005 and headed for the apartment on Don Mills Rd.
The ride took about six minutes with Smith sitting right behind
Khorassani, said the prosecutor.
When the cab stopped, Smith took out a knife, leaned forward
and stabbed Khorassani in the neck, he continued. The attack
happened so fast Khorassani never had time to turn off the
meter, said the prosecutor.
There was a brief struggle, and Khorassani eventually ended up
on the ground outside his cab, lying face down, quickly bleeding
to death from the blow that hit the carotid artery, said Nathanson.
At one point, Smith walked over to the body, tapped the cabbie
with his foot and then flipped over the body and "went through
his pockets," continued Nathanson.
A resident of the building was awakened by the struggle, and
later told police he saw Smith go back to the taxi, wipe away
some of the blood, and then flee, only to return soon after with
another man, who quickly ran away, he said, reading from a
prepared text.
Smith then tried to drive away in the taxi, but jumped out and ran
away when he heard sirens in the distance, he said.
Investigators followed a blood trail to an apartment in a nearby
building, and arrested two men for murder, but later released
them when they were told about Smith "running to the apartment
covered in blood," said Nathanson.
Smith was later arrested. His trial resumes Wednesday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Toronto Star (Toronto, Ontario) June 30, 2007 Killer of cabbie to serve 10 years Family left Iran in search of safer place to raise children, widow says in victim impact statement Jun 30, 2007 04:30 AM Peter Small Courts Bureau A troubled drug addict who stabbed a taxi driver during a botched late-night robbery, searching the pockets of the beloved father of two for cash as he lay dying, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Shane Smith did not intend to kill Morteza Khorassani when he put a small knife to his throat in a darkened parking lot of a Don Mills Rd. apartment complex on Labour Day weekend, 2005, Justice Brian Trafford said yesterday. As Khorassani fought off his robber, his jugular vein and carotid artery were severed in a horrific 25-second series of events, partly captured on the taxi's security camera, that "were gruesome and shocking," the Superior Court judge said. "Taxi drivers must be protected by the courts," Trafford said. "The robbery of a taxi driver is a very serious crime, particularly where, as here, the robbery includes the use of a knife that leads to serious bodily harm or death." The victim managed to disarm his assailant, and staggered from his blood-spattered cab, throwing the knife away before collapsing on the pavement at about 3:40 a.m. Smith, on a crack cocaine and alcohol binge, searched the dying man's pockets for money and the incriminating knife before fleeing. Defence lawyer Steven Fishbayn had argued that Khorassani moved his neck into the knife as he struggled to defend himself, accidentally causing the fatal wound. Crown prosecutor Richard Nathanson argued that Smith intentionally stabbed the deceased in the neck to show he meant business. The jury acquitted Smith of second-degree murder, but convicted him of manslaughter, signalling they did not think the slaying intentional. The cabbie's death devastated his family, the judge said. Khorassani's wife, Fariba, wrote in her victim impact statement that she can't believe he is dead. "I'm still in shock. I miss being with him, his smile, his eyes," she said. "I want him back so badly." The family left Iran to come to a safer place and build a future for their children, she said. "Now I don't feel safe any more and have no hope for the future," she wrote. Khorassani's 12-year-old daughter, Pegah, said Smith ruined her family. "My father always put a smile on our face," she said. "I miss hearing his laughter." After credit for pre-trial custody, Smith will serve six more years. +++++++++++++++++++++++
Canadian Underwriter, 11/23/2007
Fatal stabbing of cabbie not an accident: FSCO
An insurer was right to deny accident benefits to the widow of a taxi cab driver whose husband was stabbed to death while on duty, ruled a Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) arbitrator.
Morteza Khorasani died as a result of a stab wound inflicted while operating a Zurich-insured taxi cab in 2005, writes FSCO arbitrator Jeffrey Rogers.
His widow applied for statutory accident benefits under the Schedule. Zurich refused, taking the position that Khorasani did not sustain an impairment as a result of an “accident’ within the meaning of section 2 of the Schedule, writes Rogers.
Rogers sided with Zurich, citing past cases that clearly establish that an assault on a cab driver, even when it occurs while operating the cab, is an intervening act that breaks the chain of causation, he wrote.
“Mr. Khorasani was using an automobile for an ordinary purpose when he was injured, and although it is arguable that, but for the fact that he was a taxi driver, he would not have been injured, the assault by Shane Smith was an intervening act, that cannot fairly be considered to be part of the risk created by the use or operation of the cab,’ he wrote in his decision.
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