A translator's death in Iraq in December set off a series of events that eventually led to the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the missile strikes launched by Iran at U.S. military targets in Iraq on Tuesday night. 

Until early Wednesday, the full story of translator Nawres Waleed Hamid — who died in Kirkuk, Iraq in a rocket attack on Dec. 27 — wasn’t known. In particular, that he lived in Sacramento. Hamid was Iraqi, though a naturalized U.S. citizen. Hamid worked as a linguist, on contract with Valiant Integrated Services in Herndon, Virginia. He was a husband and father, and had lived with his wife and two children in Sacramento since 2011. He was buried in a Muslim cemetery in the city on Saturday. 

Sacramento Bee reporter Sawsan Morrar broke the story. She joins us to describe how she uncovered the details of Hamid’s life and death. 

Read her and reporter Sam Stanton's story here.

Guests

• Sacramento Bee reporter Sawsan Morrar