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McCormack Gets 75 Years, Shay Life Without Parole in Wheat Ridge Jeweler’s Killing

Prosecutors point to surveillance video alongside DNA from handcuffs as the evidence linking the pair to the robbery that killed Peter Arguello.

Overview

  • Michael James McCormack was sentenced Monday to 75 years in prison after a jury convicted him on five counts, including felony murder and aggravated robbery.
  • Charles Shay was sentenced on Sept. 10 to life without the possibility of parole plus 120 years following an August verdict on 10 counts and a habitual criminal finding based on six prior felonies.
  • Court documents say surveillance video captured Shay pulling a gun, attempting to handcuff Peter Arguello, and firing three shots when the store owner resisted.
  • Police reported that DNA from handcuffs recovered at the West 38th Avenue scene tied McCormack to Shay and led to McCormack’s arrest months after the 2023 killing.
  • In statements at sentencing, wife Teresa Casillas said the punishment cannot restore her husband and criticized delays and expected appeals, while Chief Deputy DA Chandler Grant said the outcomes provide accountability.