DENVER (KDVR) — Both men accused of killing a Wheat Ridge jewelry shop owner during a robbery have been sentenced “to lengthy prison terms” in the case, according to prosecutors.
On Nov. 29, 2023, Peter Damian Arguello was kidnapped, assaulted and fatally shot by Charles Shay, 41.
Surveillance video of the crime scene showed Shay pulling a gun on Arguello inside Peter Damian Fine Jewelry and Antiques and trying to handcuff him, but when Arguello resisted, Shay shot him three times, according to an arrest affidavit.
Shay was found guilty in August of 10 counts connected to the small business owner’s death, including first-degree murder, and was determined by Colorado courts to be a “habitual criminal,” based on six prior felony convictions. On Sept. 10, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 120 years.
Michael James McCormack, 50, was arrested months later after police said DNA from handcuffs found at the West 38th Avenue crime scene connected him with Shay, who had been previously charged in the case. Prosecutors and Arguello’s family argued in court that McCormack had “gained Mr. Arguello’s trust and used his access to the business to target him.”
McCormack was facing second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated robbery and second-degree motor vehicle theft, along with sentence enhancers for violent crime. He was found guilty this year on all five counts. On Monday, McCormack was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
The prosecutor’s office said that during sentencing, a family friend asserted that McCormack “kept tabs on Peter and the store — like a lurking, cunning predator.”
Family and friends of Arguello spoke at both sentencing, the prosecutor’s office shared, and described Arguello as a devoted family man and a proud small business owner who was a beloved member of the Wheat Ridge community.
“Our 20-year-old business was destroyed in minutes,” said Teresa Casillas, Peter’s wife, in a press release shared by the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office. “Peter was the reason customers came to the store. After his murder, it was impossible to keep it open. He was committed to working at least 10 more years because he loved his little shop and took so much pride in its treasures. Unlike most of us, going to work was fun for him.”
Casillas reflected on the two-year process to get justice and seemed apprehensive of the road ahead.
“I am angry at the system that did not protect us from him,” she said in the district attorney’s office release. “I am angry at the delays, the legal posturing, and the upcoming appeals. When do we get to grieve? We know that sentencing doesn’t bring Peter back, but it does keep this man from hurting other families.”
Casillas also thanked all who investigated and prosecuted Arguello’s case.
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