The man accused of killing Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, a Woodland Hills doctor, pleaded not guilty to murder and related charges during a court appearance on Tuesday. Evan Hardman, 41, from Tomball, Texas, remains behind bars without bail as he awaits a March 17 court date, where a judge will review bail options and schedule a preliminary hearing to assess whether the case has sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
Hardman faces charges for his alleged involvement in the August 23 murder of Dr. Mirshojae, 61, whose death prosecutors believe was orchestrated by his ex-wife, Ahang Mirshojae, 53, of Calabasas, through a murder-for-hire scheme. Alongside Hardman, two other individuals have been charged: Ahang Mirshojae and Sarallah Jawed, 26, from Canoga Park. Both have pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges, and like Hardman, they too will return to court on March 17 for a bail hearing and a preliminary hearing.
The murder charge against Ahang Mirshojae includes allegations of lying in wait and murder for financial gain, as well as a felony assault charge for an alleged baseball bat attack on Dr. Mirshojae in May 2023. Hardman and Jawed also face charges related to this earlier assault.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the murder charge against Hardman includes special allegations of murder for financial gain and lying in wait, along with accusations that he personally fired the weapon. Additionally, prosecutors highlighted Hardman’s criminal history, which includes robbery convictions in Los Angeles County dating back to 2002. A new charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm has also been added.
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The chilling ambush occurred on August 23, when Dr. Mirshojae was walking toward his vehicle outside his clinic on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near Warner Center Park. Authorities say a masked man emerged from around the corner and shot Dr. Mirshojae at close range before fleeing the scene. Deputy District Attorney Ben Schwartz described the attack as an “assassination” and mentioned that Hardman allegedly confessed to the murder, telling police that he was hired by Ahang Mirshojae to kill her ex-husband.
Ahang Mirshojae was arrested on December 12, with the district attorney’s office claiming that she hired Hardman for financial reasons. However, Donald Marks, her attorney, countered these claims in court, arguing that his client had no expectations of financial gain. Marks explained that Dr. Mirshojae’s will allocated everything to a trust for the couple’s three children, meaning Ahang would receive no financial benefit from his death.
Jawed, who was arrested the day before on December 11, allegedly assisted Hardman by driving him out of state shortly after the killing. Meanwhile, a fourth defendant, Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, of Reseda, faces charges as an accessory after the fact for allegedly transporting Hardman to and from the scene of the murder. Sweeting, who has a history of serious or violent felony convictions, remains in custody on $1 million bail and is scheduled to return to court on February 5 to determine if the case against her will proceed.
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As of now, it remains unclear whether the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office intends to pursue the death penalty against any of the three individuals charged with murder. The case is still unfolding, and more details are expected to emerge during the upcoming hearings.
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