Paul Bernardo's former lawyer hired to defend man charged in murder of Elnaz Hajtamiri
The man facing a first-degree murder charge in the Elnaz Hajtamiri case has enlisted the same lawyer who once represented notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo, Anthony G. Bryant.
Investigators upgraded the kidnapping charge against Hajtamiri's former boyfriend, Mohamad Lilo, 36, to murder in November, nearly two years after she was allegedly abducted.
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His defence now consists of Bryant and Stephanie Marcade, a criminal lawyer based in Collingwood. In 2005, Bryant received a letter from Bernardo confessing to several additional crimes following his conviction for the murders of Kristin French and Leslie Mahaffy.
The Elnaz Hajtamiri investigation garnered national attention after police said that on the evening of Jan. 12, 2022, three men in a white Lexus SUV wore police-issued gear and claimed to have a warrant for Hajtamiri's arrest.
Police said the suspects fought with the homeowner, entered the house and grabbed Hajtamiri, dragging her barefoot through the snow into the waiting SUV and took off.
That was the last time her family saw or heard from the 37-year-old woman.
Her family said Hajtamiri was staying in Wasaga Beach after she was violently assaulted in her parking garage in Richmond Hill just weeks before. According to her family, she was hit in the head with a frying pan as two men tried to force her into a vehicle before being spooked off by a bystander. They say her vehicle had been found with tracking devices on it.
Detectives believe Lilo is the common thread between the frying pan attack on Hajtamiri and her disappearance weeks later, noting he owns a shipping container business.
In addition to Lilo, police have identified 10 others in connection with the case.
CTV News reached out to Lilo's lawyers, who declined to comment.
Lilo has been behind bars since his arrest in July 2022. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
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