Witnesses claim that the killer suddenly appeared in front of Suren who was standing next to the "Ideal" store at the time. Firing his gun at close range the killer made his escape via a nearby park. Rumors circulating in the town say that the killer was on foot and not wearing a mask. Despite the presence of numerous eye-witnesses there are no strong leads in the case.

However, the name of the most likely culprit spread as quickly as the news of the murder itself. The name being bandied about is that of Armen Hovsepyan, a bodyguard attached to General Seyran Saroyan, a National Assembly Deputy. In Etchmiadzin, Armen Hovsepyan is known by the nickname, "Ataman".

According to local gossip, on the day of the incident "Ataman" was in a state of intoxication and had fired shots in the direction of his house. This, along with the fact that his name was being linked to the murder, provided the Police with the legal pretext to conduct a search of his home for illegal weapons and ammunition. The search turned up an illegal gun and "Ataman" was duly arrested.

Informed sources tell us that as of yet no evidence exists to formally charge "Ataman" with involvement in the killing. He has only been charged with illegal weapons possession. According to the same source, "Ataman\'s" detention expired on October 19lh. We haven\'t been able to ascertain whether "Ataman" has been set free or not.

Etchmiadzin residents are convinced that no one will be charged with the murder. One resident, who said he spoke from personal experience, told us that as a rule crimes linked to Saroyan and his entourage are either buried, or in the best case scenario, tied to someone else with no immediate connection to the crime.

We should remember that in the lead-up to the previous parliamentary elections, when both Seyran Saroyan and Hakob Hakobyan had declared their candidacies, "Ataman" who was supporting Saroyan, got into an argument with and fired upon one of his neighbors from the Hakobyan camp. Luckily, doctors were able to save the neighbor\'s life. "Ataman" was never punished for his action in the matter and nothing or no one has since forced him to refrain from his tendency to resorting to the use of arms to resolve "outstanding difficulties".

Not being brought to justice led to the next crime which occurred in the spring of 2008. That incident involved a gang beating in which the Saroyans, both grandfather and grandson, participated along with "Ataman" and other bodyguards. A young man died as a result of the beating. None of the perpetrators ever saw the inside of a courtroom. Instead, someone close to Firdus Saroyan (Seyran\'s father) assumed culpability for the crime. (See: The Son of the General/Parliamentary Deputy Cannot be Punished)

Clearly, the October 12th murder which took place smack-dab in the center of town and in the presence of several on-lookers was a \'slap in the face\' direct challenge to law enforcement officials. The perpetrators were either convinced that they\'d never be caught or that any investigation would be conveniently squashed, as in previous cases. Otherwise, how can one explain why law enforcement, despite numerous eye witnesses to the crime, our reliable sources state that the victim\'s friends and even a church deacon were on the scene, has remained \'powerless\' when it comes to getting at the truth of the affair.