Beloved jeweler kidnapped, killed in 2023 robbery, CO officials say. 2 sentenced
A jewelry store owner was kidnapped and fatally shot during a robbery in 2023, Colorado prosecutors say.
Now, Charles Shay and Michael James McCormack have been sentenced to prison in connection with the death of Peter Arguello, the Colorado District Attorney’s First Judicial District said in an Oct. 13 news release.
Neither attorney information for Shay nor McCormack was immediately available.
“Peter Arguello was an innocent victim and a beloved member of this community whose life was stolen in a senseless act of violence,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Chandler Grant said in the release.
Arguello was in his Wheat Ridge store, Peter Damian Fine Jewelry & Antiques, when two men entered on Nov. 29, 2023, prosecutors said.
Arguello was kidnapped and assaulted, then shot to death by Shay during the robbery, the district attorney’s office said.
“Our 20-year-old business was destroyed in minutes,” Teresa Casillas, Arguello’s wife, said in the release. “Peter was the reason customers came to the store.”
According to family and friends who spoke at the men’s sentencing hearings, Arguello’s death rattled his family and the surrounding community, prosecutors said.
“They described Peter as a devoted family man, a proud small business owner, and a beloved member of the Wheat Ridge community,” according to prosecutors.
Following her husband’s death, Casillas said their store “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,” she said. “Unlike most of us, going to work was fun for him.”
Shay was convicted in August of multiple counts, including first-degree murder, prosecutors said, adding that he was “later determined to be a habitual criminal under Colorado law, based on six prior felony convictions.”
A different jury found McCormack guilty on several counts, including felony murder and aggravated robbery, according to prosecutors.
During McCormack’s trial, prosecutors said they and Arguello’s family argued that McCormack gained the store owner’s “trust and used his access to the business to target him.”
At sentencing, a family friend said McCormack “kept tabs on Peter and the store—like a lurking, cunning predator,” according to prosecutors.
Shay was given a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 120 years, prosecutors said.
“We know that sentencing doesn’t bring Peter back, but it does keep this man from hurting other families,” Casillas said.
McCormack was given a 75-year prison sentence, the district attorney’s office said.
“These sentences bring accountability, honor the strength of his family and community, and reflect the tireless work of our law enforcement partners to ensure justice for Peter and his loved ones,” Grant said.
Wheat Ridge is about a 5-mile drive northwest from downtown Denver.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Beloved jeweler kidnapped, killed in 2023 robbery, CO officials say. 2 sentenced."
