Steve Burns
WMAL.com

BETHESDA, Md. – (WMAL) A Bethesda father is asking for help in figuring out the exact circumstances of his son’s death last month.

Farshid “Frank” Sepehri has sent letters to homes in the neighborhood where his 17-year-old son, Navid, went to a house party on Dec. 9 and never returned home. Sepheri found his son’s body in a stream behind a swim club the next day.

“We sent a letter out asking the neighbors if they have seen anything, if they have heard anything, if they have been interviewed by the police,” Sepehri told WMAL. “If they are a witness of what happened that night, just please tell me what happened. What did you hear? Where was my son the last time you saw him?”

He also said he is appealing for any security camera footage from that night showing his son.

The effort is the result of Sepehri’s general frustration with how Montgomery County Police have handled the case.

“They haven’t done nothing, from the beginning to the end, and still not given us any information,” he said.

Montgomery County Police said they encountered Navid at a house party earlier that night, and he was one of many underage drinkers. As other partygoers scattered into the night, police said they spoke with Navid and others outside the house. They said he was let go.

Frank Sepehri said he drove to a local police station early Sunday morning, where he told police that his son did not return home and asked to file a missing person report. For reasons still unknown, the report was not filed for another nine hours, after noon on Sunday. Frank found his son’s body in a stream behind the Bannockburn Swim Club just before 5 p.m.

Sepehri said the police department dropped the ball at many different points in the investigation.

“(They could have) filed a report when I showed up at the police station, (or) arrested my son when he was drunk at the scene,” he said. “At least help me find my son…I found him myself.”

An autopsy found Navid’s death was the result of hypothermia and drowning. Sepehri said he “can’t say” if he believes that until police release a final report.

Montgomery County Police would only confirm their investigation is ongoing.

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