Chris Donoyan was found shot to death inside his locked North Hollywood apartment, valuables including Emmy awards, a Rolex, a guitar, $20,000 in cash and gold bars scattered around him untouched. Twelve years later, nobody has ever been arrested, and detectives say they still have no idea who pulled the trigger.
According to ABC7 Los Angeles, Donoyan was found dead in his apartment on Nov. 25, 2014. LAPD Detective Gabriel Bucknell, who recently took over the long-dormant case, told the station Donoyan was shot at close range in the back of the head, and that the apartment door was locked with valuables left inside untouched. Accounts of exactly when his body was discovered differ: NBC Los Angeles reported Donoyan was shot on Nov. 20, 2014, with his body not found until days later, while a Los Angeles city council webpage lists the discovery date as Nov. 20 as well, differing from ABC7’s account of a Nov. 25 discovery.
Bucknell did not mince words about where the investigation stands now. “I have no motive, I have no idea who would have killed Chris, and I have no leads at this time,” he said, per the station’s report. LAPD and Donoyan’s loved ones are renewing their plea for information, hoping that someone who has stayed quiet for over a decade finally comes forward.
A Scene That Pointed Away From Robbery
Investigators have long said the condition of Donoyan’s apartment undercuts any simple robbery theory. Emmy awards, a guitar, a Rolex, $20,000 in cash and gold bars were all left behind, the station’s report notes. Back in 2015, LAPD Detective Steve Castro told NBC Los Angeles that “robbery does not appear to be a motive, there were several valuables that were left behind,” and added that there was no forced entry and no sign of a struggle…