Friends of Azita Nikooei held a memorial for the woman who was killed seven years ago. Nikooei's friends wanted to honor her and bring some closure to her death.
It was a touching tribute for Azita Nikooei at Valley Bible Fellowship. Three women who organized the service wanted people to know the kind of person she was.
Photos of Nikooei reminded friends of her most important role. Raine Flowers says, "I picture her loving her son more than anything, that's how I picture her." Raine Flowers got choked up when she first saw the photos. She and three other close friends organized the memorial.
Nikooei's fiance Nathan Mowers, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and confessed to choking her to death in September of 2004. While he heads to prison for eleven years, closure has been difficult for her friends.
Detectives say Nikooei accused Mowers of cheating on her and he strangled her in a fight. Sherri Johnson says Nikooei confided in her with her suspicions. "You could tell she didn't want to tell us, she was embarrassed, but she finally did and then after that it was, she was gone."
Johnson and the other women have second guessed the what if's. "I wished so bad we had demanded that we go with her. I wished that so badly", says Johnson.
The memorial paid tribute to memories they carry with them. "Her smile and her laugh was electrifying, she was funny and she had a personality like no other, says Flowers.
"She was the sweetest, funniest thing I ever met in my life. I j just took to her and she took to me," says Johnson.
Friends also say she waitressed, attended business school, and worked as an exotic dancer to provide for her son. "I am happy that it's come to closure for us, and we fought hard as we could cause didn't have anybody."
The lead detective in the case, Herman Caldas, carried a photo and had it pinned near his desk. Raine Flowers says he had the picture in an envelope and gave it to Nikooei's ex-husband to give to her son who is now 14 years old.
