Murder in Yerevan: Evidence of 8 Knife Stab Wounds Found on the Body

On January 30, a murder occurred in Yerevan. At around 01:20, the central police department received a call from the number 1 university hospital that a citizen had been transferred there with injuries from multiple knife wounds.

According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, police officials, including Yerevan police chief Sevan Kocharyan, operational deputy Arthur Zakaryan, and head of the criminal investigation department Hovhannes Aristakesyan, went to the hospital.

Also arriving at the scene was deputy head of the criminal police department of the RA Police, Armen Petrosyan. Upon investigation, police discovered that the injured individual was a 35-year-old resident of Kotayk Province, of Georgian descent, named Umri Sh.

Further inquiries revealed that he had been transferred from near a flower shop at the intersection of Mashtots Avenue and Amiryan Street. An operational group from the central police department, headed by department chief Arman Papyan, arrived at the scene. Officers from the first platoon of the 3rd squad of the patrol service also responded swiftly, under the command of squad commander Gor Arakelyan and deputy commander Albert Hovhannisyan, as well as platoon commander Alyosha Aivazyan.

The patrol officers cordoned off the area to prevent curious citizens from entering the crime scene until investigators from the investigative department of Yerevan and the 3rd investigation division of the Norq-Marash administrative district, led by division chief Davit Kirakosyan, arrived.

As a result of patrol officers' swift actions, a broken knife with blood-like traces was found about 30 meters away from the crime scene, while blood-like traces were also discovered in front of the flower shop. By Kirakosyan’s order, a investigative group was formed, and while the investigators examined the scene, the hospital notified that the injured man, who had eight knife wounds on his body and had a broken knife piece found inside him, had died.

A criminal case was initiated under Article 104 (murder) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia based on Kirakosyan's order. Hours after the murder, police found a suspect in the “Green Palas” hotel complex on Myasnikyan Avenue, who was detained by the central police department and then presented to the investigative division.

According to G. Shamshyan, the suspect is a 30-year-old resident of Yerevan, A. Harutyunyan, who was arrested by the investigator’s decision. He and the victim had worked together at the flower shop. The investigator ordered several expert examinations, including a forensic examination of the body.