Peter Damian Arguello, the 64-year-old male owner of Peter Damian Fine Jewelry and Antiques in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was killed on November 29, 2023. On that morning, just after 11 a.m., two men entered his shop located in the 7200 block of West 38th Avenue. Surveillance footage from inside the store showed Arguello letting one man in, who initially appeared to be a customer before pulling out a gun and forcing Arguello to the back of the store.
A second man then entered through the rear of the business.
During the course of the robbery, the assailants attempted to restrain Arguello with flex cuffs. When he resisted, he was shot and killed. Witnesses reported hearing shots and seeing two men flee the scene through the back door, escaping in a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. Arguello's body was discovered in the parking lot behind his business. The stolen getaway truck was later found ablaze in Centennial, with two partially burned hats inside that matched those worn by the suspects in the surveillance video.
The investigation led police to identify two suspects: Charles Robinson Shay, 42, and Michael James McCormack, 51. A critical piece of evidence emerged when Shay was arrested on December 27, 2023, for burglarizing Arguello's already-closed store a day earlier. Shay admitted to this later burglary, calling it a 'crime of opportunity' after hearing about the murder. However, investigators linked him directly to the murder through DNA found on the flex cuffs left at the crime scene. McCormack was identified as the second suspect, an alleged accomplice who had reportedly gained Arguello's trust to target his store. McCormack was arrested on May 1, 2024, in the Black Hawk area following a two-month search.
Both men faced the justice system for their roles in the crime. In August 2025, a jury found Charles Shay guilty on 11 counts, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. On September 10, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 120 years. A separate jury convicted Michael James McCormack on all charges against him, including felony murder and aggravated robbery. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Family and friends described Arguello as a devoted family man and a beloved member of the Wheat Ridge community, whose business of 20 years could not continue after his tragic death.
