Two men will spend the rest of their lives in prison for robbing and murdering a Wheat Ridge antique store owner in 2023, according to court records.
A Jefferson County jury in August found Charles Shay guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson and tampering with evidence, court records show.
In September, Michael McCormack was convicted by a separate jury on charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery and motor vehicle theft, according to court records.
Shay was sentenced on Sept. 10 to life without parole plus 120 years, and McCormack was sentenced Monday to 75 years in prison.
The two men killed Peter Damien Arguello in a robbery at his Wheat Ridge store — Peter Damian Fine Jewelry and Antiques — on Nov. 29, 2023.
Investigators found the men’s getaway truck in Centennial, where it had been set on fire. DNA evidence on a hat in the truck linked Shay to the crime.
Prosecutors and the victim’s family argued that McCormack gained Arguello’s trust and used his access to the business to target Arguello, according to a news release from the . During sentencing, a family friend testified that McCormack “kept tabs on Peter and the store — like a lurking, cunning predator.”
“Our 20-year-old business was destroyed in minutes,” Teresa Casillas, Arguello’s wife, stated in the release. “Peter was the reason customers came to the store. After his murder, it was impossible to keep it open.”
