Tesalon Felicien

The Greenville News

Jahan Oveissi, who had been dealing with marital issues, recently bought a gun and on Friday he quit his job.

Three days later, his brother couldn't get in contact with him and was so worried he went to Oveissi's home on Laurel Meadows Parkway in Mauldin. On Monday evening, he found Oveissi, 49, and his 13-year-old son, Ahbteen Oveissi, dead, lying together in an upstairs bedroom. Ahbteen was Oveissi's only son.

Officers, who located a handwritten letter at the scene, said the deaths Monday evening appear to be a murder-suicide.

"Based on our investigation at this time, we believe the father shot his son and then committed suicide," Mauldin Sgt. Ben Ford said. "That is what the investigation is telling us at this time."

The Coroner's Office said Ahbteen, a student at Mauldin Middle School, died of a gunshot wound to the head. The coroner said the manner of death was homicide.

Jahan Oveissi also died of a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner said. The manner of death was ruled suicide.

"Murders in our cities are few and far between," Mauldin Sgt. Ben Ford said at a press conference Tuesday. "We have a very safe city. We take pride in that but you cannot control everything and what people are going to do.

"At this point we believe this was a family issue."

Ford said the family moved to Mauldin three months ago and had lived in Greenville County in the past.

Although there may have been a family difficulties, Oveissi's brother told police he saw him Sunday and there was no indication something tragic was on the horizon.

Oveissi's time of death was estimated as 8 a.m. Monday, according to the coroner's report.

Police responded to a 911 call from a neighbor about 5:30 p.m. Monday in response to a man distraught outside a residence, yelling to call the police, Ford said. There was a handwritten note that indicated what to do with items and documents.

On Tuesday, the few residents of the subdivision walked their dogs past the house with blue window trim and no curtains. They stopped occasionally to peer from the street into the two-story property.

A green roll-out trash container stood at the base of the driveway. Crows perched on the rooftop cawed at each other.

Cesar and Mindy Becerra, who live next to the Oveissi home, described the father as a reserved man who mowed his lawn on weekends. The boy, they said, would walk the dog on mornings.

The Becerras said they were startled at the news.

“This is a quiet neighborhood,” said Mindy Becerra. “It’s surprising because you’d never think, them. They were so quiet, you never heard arguing.”