New Details on the Brutal Murder of a Mother and Her Two Minor Children in Pemzashen

The investigation into the murder of a resident of the Pemzashen community in Shirak Province and her two children, as well as the sexual assault of a girl under 12, has concluded. This was reported by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

As a result of extensive, systematic, and comprehensive investigative and evidentiary actions carried out by the Shirak regional investigation department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, all circumstances of the case have been clarified. Specifically, the investigation revealed that A.B., a resident of the Pemzashen village, who returned from the Russian Federation on October 28, 2022, made an extramarital proposal to Z.M., a resident of the same village, which she rejected. A.B., who had a close relationship with Z.M.'s husband, learned that she intended to inform her spouse about the proposal. Fearing that he would find out, and aware that such information would tarnish his reputation in the community, A.B. conspired with his relative, V.B., to rob Z.M.'s home and kill her to prevent the information from spreading.

On the night of November 9, 2022, the two men equipped themselves with a tool to open the lock, a cord for restraints, and a folding knife. They waited near Z.M.'s house, ensuring that the lights were off before unlawfully entering the property. Upon noticing them, Z.M. was struck on the head by A.B., rendering her unconscious. Subsequently, they brutally attacked her with a knife, inflicting multiple injuries that resulted in her death.

As Z.M. struggled, her minor children, a 12-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, came to the corridor. V.B. and A.B. then restrained the boy's limbs and subsequently the girl’s, before dragging Z.M. into the bedroom. In front of her children, they continued to stab her with a knife, inflicting 11 injuries that led to her death.

Believing that the boy had recognized them, they turned their brutality on him as well, stabbing him multiple times while he was restrained, causing fatal injuries. Additionally, after murdering Z.M. and her son, V.B. took advantage of the young daughter’s helpless condition and sexually assaulted her. When they believed she could identify them, they stabbed her in the chest and abdomen, causing injuries incompatible with life.

After completing their horrific actions, the two men stole jewelry amounting to a total of 940,000 AMD, along with cash, from Z.M.'s home, and left the scene.