In the 1980s, Texas was expanding fast, and real estate agents were often left working alone, opening doors for strangers in empty homes. Across the state, a quiet pattern began to form: women in the industry attacked and killed during routine showings, each case treated as isolated, none connected in time.

From the brutal 1981 murder of Virginia “Ginger” Freeman in Brazos County to the 1983 execution-style killings at a Houston real estate office, to the 1987 murder of Betty Jo Hudson in Galveston and the stabbing of Esther Darlene Collins in west Harris County, the list of victims continued to grow.

By the end of the decade, another name was added.

Giti Hariri, a 27-year-old Iranian immigrant and chemical engineering graduate, was working alone in a model home in northwest Harris County when she was stabbed to death on May 11, 1988. The scene showed no forced entry, no clear motive, and only a missing purse. Despite early investigative efforts, her case quickly went cold.

At the center of Giti’s life was her closest friend, Wendy Aldrich, a bond that began as college roommates and endured through years of change, relocation, and adulthood. In the aftermath of Giti’s murder, Wendy’s grief became all-consuming, pulling her deeper into the place where her friend had died.

What began as loss would soon become something far more unsettling.

Because Giti’s story doesn’t end with her death.

And neither does Wendy’s.

Part 1 of 2.

If you have any information about the murder of Giti Harari, please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-8477.

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The Murders of Giti Harari & Wendy Aldrich Part One