Friends and family of a 35-year-old mother, killed during her shift as a gas station attendant, are struggling to come to terms with the fact the man responsible for her death was acquitted of second-degree murder.
Earlier this month, a jury found 22-year-old Joshua Mitchell guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of Maryam Rashidi Ashtiani during an attempted gas & dash in June of 2015. Ashtiani had jumped on the hood of a stolen pickup truck after the driver filled the vehicle at the Centex station and neglected to pay. Mitchell accelerated from the scene along 16 Ave NW sending the employee off the truck and under its tires. The 35-year-old woman did not recover from her injuries and died in hospital four days later.
For the first time, friends of Ashtiani are speaking out about the incident saying they’re not surprised by her effort to do, what she thought, was the right thing.
“She tried,” said Hayat Amer, a close friend of Ashtiani’s. “She always talked about her rights and responsibilities as a new Canadian.”
“I think humanity has wronged humanity here,” said Farida Mirkalami. “That’s all I can say.”
Ashtiani had moved from Iran to Canada in 2014 and was a well-known fixture at the Centre for Newcomers.
“As a newcomer, she wanted to start a family,” said Amer. “I asked ‘Do you want to have more kids?’ and she said ‘Yes, I want to have more kids, Canadian kids’.”
Following Ashtiani’s death, her husband Ahmad Nourani Shalloo and son relocated to Vancouver where they continue to struggle with their loss. Friends say the family was devastated to hear of the verdict as the trial proved too emotional for them to attend in person.
Alberta’s Minister of Labour has been criticized for a perceived lack of action following Ashtiani’s death as many believe the province should introduce legislation requiring gas station customers to prepay for fuel to eliminate the possibility of a gas & dash.
In a statement to CTV Calgary, Christina Gray, Minister of Labour, says workplace policies at gas stations are being inspected. "We are reviewing the results of these discussion to help determine the next steps in addressing this important issue."
Mitchell is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Friday when a date for sentencing will be determined. A manslaughter conviction does not carry an automatic sentence and a broad range of penalties are possible. The Crown says it will seek a heavy sentence for Mitchell.
With files from CTV Calgary’s Kamil Karamali
