West Hollywood, California (March 8, 2010) - Orange County prosecutors announced late last week that they will seek the death penalty against Iftekhar Murtaza, 25, in the killings and bludgeonings of his ex-girlfriend’s family; his co-defendant, Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 24, of West Hollywood will face the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole. 
Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 22, a WeHo man, stands accused of murder in the deaths of two Anaheim Hills residents. |
Vitaliy Krasnoperov and his co-defendant Mr. Murtaza are accused in the slayings of Shayona Dhanak’s sister, Karishma Dhanak, 20, and her father, Jayprakash Dhanak, 56, and the attempted slaying of her mother Leela Jayprakash Dhanak on May 21, 2007.
Prosecutors say that Mr. and Mrs. Dhanak, conservative practicing Hindus, had prohibited their daughter Shayona from seeing Mr. Murtaza due to his Muslim faith.
The trial prosecutor, Howard Gundy said Mr. Murtaza sought to kill her family so Shayona would have no one but him to turn to.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in a statement that Mr. Murtaza qualified for a potential death sentence when a judge found special circumstances of committing multiple murder, murders during the commission of a burglary and kidnapping, and murders for financial gain.
22 yr-old Iftekhar Murtaza from Van Nuys stands accused of two brutal killings and one horrific beating. |
Charles Anthony Murphy, Jr., 25, of Mission Hills, another alleged accomplice, will also face a sentence of life in prison without parole. All three men pleaded not guilty in their arraignments.
Mr. Gundy alleges that Mr. Krasnoperov joined the conspiracy to murder the family with his friend and co-worker, Mr. Murtaza, in a series of Internet Messages (IMs) between the pair in the minutes after Shayona gave Mr. Murtaza the news of her parents’ decision – and two months before her family’s tragedy.
An IM chain allegedly shows that Mr. Krasnoperov cooperated with planning the killings, making suggestions on modus operandi.
Both sides in the case say it will take years to prepare for trial, during which time all three men are being held without bail.
Printer-friendly
E-mail to friend
