Rostam Poulad-Noshiravan was a beloved husband of 40 years, a father to three children, and a fun-loving grandfather to four. At 69 years old, the male victim was known as the pillar of his family, the person they all turned to for guidance and advice. He had lived in his North Vancouver, British Columbia, home for more than two decades, raising his family in the quiet Upper Lonsdale neighborhood where he was an active and social presence. Known to his friends and community as Rostam Poulad, he was deeply involved in the local Persian community and was a well-known and trusted seller of tickets for cultural events. His daughter, Niloo Poulad, remembered him as a man who befriended everyone, opened his home to all, and loved his family unconditionally.
That peaceful life was shattered on Saturday, November 30, 2013. At around 1:00 p.m., an unknown man came to the front door of Poulad-Noshiravan's home in the 4000 block of St. Georges Avenue.
Poulad-Noshiravan greeted the visitor and then went back inside, presumably to get concert tickets for the man. When he returned to the doorway, he was fatally shot. The sudden violence of the act in the middle of a weekend afternoon sent shockwaves through the community and left his family reeling. It was the first homicide in North Vancouver that year.
Witnesses reported seeing a man fleeing the scene immediately after the gunshots. The suspect was described as being roughly six feet tall with an athletic build, short dark hair, and wearing dark clothing. He was seen jogging across the street and getting into a waiting silver or grey import-style car before speeding away. In the minutes that followed, police on the North Shore took the drastic step of shutting down traffic on both the Lions Gate and Ironworkers Memorial bridges in an attempt to trap the suspect's vehicle, but the shooter managed to escape. No arrests were made.
The investigation was taken over by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). Investigators stated they believed the attack was targeted, but a motive was not clear. Poulad-Noshiravan was not known to police, and his family was completely shocked by what had happened. Sgt. Bari Emam of IHIT said at the time, "The victim’s family are shocked by this incident and also hoping that tips from the public and those who may know something can assist the investigators in getting some answers." Police believe someone within the Iranian community may hold key information that could solve the case.
On the second anniversary of his death in November 2015, IHIT and Poulad-Noshiravan's family made a unique public appeal. They released a video plea in English, Farsi, and French, which was distributed to Persian media outlets across Canada and the United States. In the video, his daughter Niloo spoke directly to the camera, her grief still palpable. "Finding the individual who did this crime will not bring back my dad, but it will bring closure to this nightmare that haunts us every day, every minute, of our lives," she said. "Our father, Rostam Poulad was a victim of a horrible and senseless crime... We believe someone in the Iranian community has some information about our father's death and we ask you to please come forward and help."
As of a February 2026 update on the RCMP's unsolved cases website, the murder of Rostam Poulad-Noshiravan remains an open and active investigation. More than a decade has passed, and his family still waits for justice. The man who came to his door and took the life of a loving father and grandfather has never been identified.
IHIT continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Rostam Poulad-Noshiravan is urged to contact the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at [email protected]. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at solvecrime.ca.
