Sayeh Rivazfar
Sayeh Rivazfar is the oldest of six children. She has been employed with the New York State Police since 2003 and was promoted to Investigator in 2016. She has been a board member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children since 1996. In Sayeh’s early childhood, she, her sister Sara, and brother Arash became victims of mental and physical child abuse at the hands of their biological mother who lived in Pensacola, Florida. Sayeh’s mother had various men in and out of their home, along with alcohol and drug abuse.
On September 22, 1988, Sayeh, then age 8 and Sara, age 6, were kidnapped from their home during the late night by a man known as Raymond Warfield Wike, one of their mother’s boyfriends. Wike had taken the girls to a nearby wooded area, raped Sayeh for hours, and then lacerated both girls’ throats leaving them for dead. She survived the brutal attack, identified the man who had committed these horrific crimes, and after a few days in the hospital, testified against him. Sayeh testified not only during the trial, but also for the two sentencing phases due to technicalities within the judicial system.
Wike continued to victimize Sayeh from Prison in Florida by sending her threatening letters while she lived in New York with her biological Father. Wike was sentenced to death in 1989 and had not yet been executed as of 2004. In July of 2004, another family member residing in Florida notified Sayeh and her family that Raymond Warfield Wike died in Prison from natural causes.
As a result of her experiences, Sayeh has become the voice for other victims. She has shared her experiences with several various entities including victim’s families, parents, children, peers, Politicians, Law Enforcement agencies, and many different communities in hopes that this would show others hope for prevention, intervention, and/or comfort. Sayeh has conducted several media interviews and appeared on talk shows to educate others of her past experiences in hopes of reaching those who are in need or will listen. Sayeh has worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, providing them with presentations, speeches, and one on one sessions with victims. She also participates in the many events that take place supporting the Center. Sayeh has successfully completed her education, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and has successfully pursed her goal of a career in Law Enforcement working with the New York State Police. Sayeh is doing very well and is happily married with her first child born in 2012. Sayeh is assigned to Monroe County and lives in Rochester, New York where her family and loved ones reside.