3RD JURY WILL CONSIDER FATE OF EX-TRAVEL AGENT.Byline: Janet Gilmore Daily News Staff Writer For the third time since his arrest, a panel of jurors will consider whether former Glendale travel agent Garen Zakarian had a hand in another agent's murder. A federal court jury could begin deliberating as soon as today in the question of whether Zakarian, 31, is guilty of three robbery charges stemming from the Oct. 5, 1994, death of Benita Mikailian, 42. During closing arguments Wednesday prosecutors contended, once again, that Zakarian shot the rival Glendale agent while robbing her of airline tickets he needed for some 80 clients stranded in Paris en route to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . A Pasadena Superior Court jury acquitted Zakarian of murder charges a year ago. Soon thereafter federal prosecutors charged him with robbery, conspiracy and other less serious crimes in connection with Mikailian's death, but a jury deadlocked dead·lock n. 1. A standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces or factions. 2. Sports A tied score. 3. on the most serious charges in July and found Zakarian guilty of lesser weapons charges. Over the last few weeks federal prosecutors have been retrying Zakarian on charges of robbery affecting commerce; physical violence in furtherance fur·ther·ance n. The act of furthering, advancing, or helping forward: "Pakistan does not aspire to any . . . role in furtherance of the strategies of other powers" Ismail Patel. of a robbery; and using a firearm firearm, device consisting essentially of a straight tube to propel shot, shell, or bullets by the explosion of gunpowder. Although the Chinese discovered gunpowder as early as the 9th cent., they did not develop firearms until the mid-14th cent. equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a robbery. ``This is just killing the guy,'' said defense attorney Malcolm Guleserian. ``It's triple jeopardy jeopardy, in law, condition of a person charged with a crime and thus in danger of punishment. At common law a defendant could be exposed to jeopardy for the same offense only once; exposing a person twice is known as double jeopardy. , there's no question, this is inappropriate.'' Guleserian told jurors that Zakarian was in his office at the time of the killing, that he was set up, and prosecutors don't have enough evidence to prove that a robbery even occurred - he noted the numerous $100 bills and jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. left in the victim's office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Tayback argued to jurors ``the defendant, you know, is behind it because no one else stood to gain, no one else had the victim's property, no one else had fingerprints Impressions or reproductions of the distinctive pattern of lines and grooves on the skin of human fingertips. Fingerprints are reproduced by pressing a person's fingertips into ink and then onto a piece of paper. on the gun.'' If convicted of these latest charges Zakarian faces a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison. Zakarian remains in custody awaiting sentencing on the weapons convictions, facing up to 20 years in prison on those counts. |
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