Trial begins in two deaths at jewelry story

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004 | 9:22 a.m.

The guilt or innocence of a man accused of robbing a downtown jewelry store and slaying the owners, a mother and daughter, may come down to whether or not a jury believes in the credibility of the science and reliability of surveillance videotape.

Avetis Archanian, 46, is facing the death penalty, charged with the Nov. 29 murders of Elisa Del Prado, 65, and her mother, Juana Maria Quiroga, 86, owners of World Merchants Importers in downtown Las Vegas.

Archanian was originally charged with attempted murder of Del Prado, who died in after being in a coma in March, but a grand jury changed the charge to murder.

In opening arguments on Wednesday, District Attorney David Roger said DNA evidence and videotape recovered from the jewelry store's security cameras would clearly show the jury "there is a killer in the courtroom" and that killer, he said, is Archanian.

Roger alleges that shortly after Del Prado and Quiroga opened their store on the morning of Nov. 29, Archanian, who worked as a part-time jewelry repairman, arrived and "exchange(d) pleasantries" with the women.

Roger said Archanian, who was wearing all black, then headed back to his repair room. Five minutes later Del Prado walked back to the repair room and never returned. Seven minutes later, Roger said, Quiroga "walk(ed) quickly" back to the repair room before a second later being seen struggling to get out of the room.

Roger said Archanian then "knocks her down" and proceeds to open the jewelry display cases and begins looting the contents. After making sure the victims are dead, Roger said, Archanian leaves the store with a briefcase and heads west to a parking garage.

About 15 minutes later, Roger told the jury, the tape shows Archanian pacing in front of the store.

When the police arrived, Roger said, Archanian told them he came to the store at 10 a.m. that morning, and when no one let him in, he looked inside and saw two bodies lying motionless on the flood. He said authorities allowed Archanian to leave, but soon realized he was the suspect.

Roger said when the police found a VCR seemingly hooked up to the store's security cameras, they were dismayed to discover the tape was missing. But when Del Prado's son arrived on the scene, he told the police that the tape "was a dummy," explaining that the cameras really recorded digitally.

After reviewing the footage the officers recognized the man committing the acts as Archanian and set up surveillance at his home, according to the district attorney.

Roger said Archanian was pulled over by officers after leaving his home with his wife and he "immediately started sweating" and "feeling weak at the knees" once the officers explained he was under arrest for murder.

Officers later searched Archanian's home and found a briefcase, black pants and leather gloves all stained with blood. DNA analysis indicated that the blood came from Del Prado and Quiroga, according to Roger.

Blood from the victims was also found on the exterior of Archanian's driver's side door, and inside the car, under the driver's seat, a toolbox containing jewelry stolen from the store was found.

Roger said the evidence shows Archanian used a hammer and a ring-sizer to commit the murders. The coroner's office determined both women died of multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

After listening to Roger lay out a case supported both by DNA and video evidence, Archanian's attorney, Mace Yampolsky, asked the jury a question that they may well have been wondering: "Why are you here?"

Yampolsky explained Archanian is granted a trial by jury by law. He said while there is DNA evidence, "science is fallible."

The defense attorney argued that "images can be changed and the video is extremely grainy." He also suggested "computers are not infallible" as he explained to the jury that the security tape came from a computer.

He told the jury Archanian was a man who in 1977 at the age of 20 escaped the Soviet Union and came to America with only $1,500 in his pocket and supported his family as a jewelry repairman.

Yampolsky patted Archanian, who's first language is Armenian, on the back as he told the jury his client has been married for 21 years and has a 19-year-old son. He asked them to "defend your opinion" as they hear the case.

The prosecution was scheduled to begin its case this afternoon before District Judge Donald Mosley.