Friends, Colleagues Remember Murder-Suicide Victim

The victim was gunned down by a former colleague outside his Voorhees home

Dozens of fellow doctors, nurses and Virtua Medical staff gathered Thursday night to remember their friend and colleague who was gunned down outside his Voorhees apartment last week.

Thirty-two-year-old Paymon Houshmandpour was killed April 11 after he was ambushed outside his condo on Avalon Court in Voorhees by Giacondo Navek, a disgruntled former Virtua Medical resident, according to police. Investigators say Navek apparently believed Houshmandpour was responsible for his alleged dismissal from their medical residency program.

“He was a wonderful doctor. He was a wonderful husband to his wife, a wonderful father to his child -- he was my best friend,” Dr. Rose Bialecki said.

Police say Navek later used the same gun to kill himself. The gun was also linked to the murder of Navek’s North Carolina girlfriend days before the murder suicide.

“I think it was important for all of the people who he touched with his generosity who touched in so many ways to show him respect and show him how much were gonna miss him,” Bialecki said.

Colleagues walked by candlelight to the parking space where Houshmandpour died. They shared hugs, shed tears and remembered the doctor who they say made them work hard, laugh and smile.

“I wouldn't have made it through residency without him. Everyone who came here today said he touched some part of their life,” Dr. Tina Sabharwal said.

Friends also wrote letter to Houshmandpour’s widow who moved out of state two days after her husband’s murder, according to friends.

The Virtua staff say they plan to organize a fund to help his family pay for funeral costs and perhaps set up a college fund for the couple’s little girl.



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