Authorities in California have arrested a 21-year-old man and charged him with murder of a beloved Bass Lake real estate agent.
Robert “Bob” Boyajian, 75, was reported missing by co-workers on July 14 when he missed an appointment, Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said.
Tyson said that deputies found Boyajian’s vehicle and his Apple Watch, which he reportedly always wore, at the home, but his phone, wallet, and the bedding from his bed were missing. While there were no overt signs of foul play, the entire scene raised suspicions.
While trying to access the home’s security cameras, they spoke with Audrik Matevosian, who had previously done IT work for the missing man. Matevosian gave them information to access the cameras, but deputies were still unable to see any footage. Then Matevosian told them where to find the system’s DVR.
“However, the DVR was missing, which escalated our suspicions,” Pogue said.
Deputies then accessed Boyajian’s bank records and found a $1,000 withdrawal and two failed attempts to withdraw money on the evening of July 13. And the ATM cameras captured Matevosian making the withdrawal and the attempts. Authorities executed a search warrant on the home Matevosian shared with his parents on July 16 and found two handguns, including one that had been reported stolen in March and another belonging to Boyajian.
Matevosian agreed to speak with detectives and eventually confessed to killing Boyajian, after initially claiming he committed suicide and then saying that Boyajian had enlisted his aid in committing suicide.
“Ultimately, he confessed to killing Mr. Boyajian around midnight on Saturday and then driving his body to the Mojave desert, where he buried him in a cave,” Pogue said.
He buried the victim wrapped in the bedding from Boyajian’s bed and in a body bag he had bought from Amazon a week before the murder, Pogue said.
Pogue explained that the killer rented a vehicle on July 12, called Boyajian to make sure he was home, then went over to spend the night — something witnesses said was not unusual as Boyajian treated Matevosian and his brother as if they were his grandchildren.
At around midnight, after Boyajian went to sleep, Matevosian killed him.
According to Pogue, Matevosian claimed that Boyajian had “spoken disparagingly about his family” and that he hoped for financial gain by killing him.
Matevosian told investigators where to find Boyajian’s body, his cell phone, and his wallet.
“Our detectives worked tirelessly to bring justice for Mr. Boyajian and his loved ones,” said Pogue. “This arrest represents our commitment to protecting this community — no matter how far the investigation must go.”
The killer is being held without bond and has a July 28 court date, Law&Crime reported.
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[Featured image: The cave where Matevosian buried Boyajian’s body. Inset: Top, Audrik Matevosian. Bottom, Bob Boyajian/Madero County Sheriff’s Office]
