Convicted killer Atif Rafay's essay published in top Canadian magazine
Atif Rafay, the West Vancouver man convicted of murdering his family in 1994, will have an essay published in one of Canada's top national magazines.
In the April issue of The Walrus, Rafay, currently serving three consecutive 99-year life sentences at a penitentiary in Monroe, Wash., "explores the meaning of freedom from within his prison cell," reports the magazine's website.
The stark cover of next month's Walrus, which doesn't feature any images, simply reads, "This magazine contains an essay on freedom by a Canadian convicted of murder" in oversized black handwriting on a burnt-orange background.
In 2004, a jury convicted Rafay and best friend Sebastian Burns of the baseball-bat murders of Rafay's parents, Tariq and Sultana, and sister Basma, inside their Bellevue, Wash., home in 1994.
The high-profile murder case has been featured in an episode of the CBS program 48 Hours Investigates and the documentary film Mr. Big.
Rafay, a brilliant student who was attending Cornell University at the time of the killings, has steadfastly maintained his innocence through the years and gained support from several advocacy groups that take on cases of inmates they feel have been wrongfully convicted.
Now 34, Rafay is expected to have his murder conviction appeal heard in July.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.