Documents Released in Namiranian Case

Search warrants and statements made public in the case of missing Altria employee Leyla Namiranian have revealed more about the investigation, including the early direction of police enquiries, and her confrontations with and fear of an ex-boyfriend.

Namiranian failed to show up for work back in April last year, and four months later detectives reportedly said they were no closer to solving it.

According to reports on www.wtvr.com/2012/12/27/search-warrants-unsealed-in-altria-executives-disappearance and www.nbc12.com/story/20433048/search-warrants-show-missing-chesterfield-woman-feared-ex-boyfriend , search warrants used in the case said that an ex-boyfriend, Michael Anthony Edwards, had been questioned by police following statements by a friend. The couple had broken up a few months earlier and the friend said Namiranian had told her she had been choked and threatened by Edwards: and a journal belonging to Namiranian and found by detectives had also mentioned her fear of him.

Police searched Edwards' cell phone on and found it had been located near Namiranian's residence for about five hours on the day she was last seen, while affidavits report that he admitted to lying to authorities in his initial statements, and to parking outside her residence at the time matching the cell phone records. His phone records also place him 'in the area of Interstate 95 north' where her other cellphone was recovered by police - although no evidence has been found to show that Namiranian had been at the location. Police stress that Edwards - who has previous convictions for stabbing and assault - is only 'a person of interest' in the case.

Altria, previously named Philip Morris Companies Inc., is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations, online at www.altria.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.