Ovik Oganesyan, 50, was shot and killed while working at a medical marijuana dispensary at 12480 W. Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista on January 18, 2017. Witnesses saw a man and a woman in dark hooded sweatshirts enter shortly before gunshots were heard; Oganesyan was found wounded inside and pronounced dead at the scene. LAPD investigators described the motive as robbery.

Court testimony and prosecutions later identified James A. Eastland, 25, and Kayshon Lamont Moody, 31, as the primary suspects. Eastland pleaded guilty to murder and robbery, testified that Moody planned the robbery believing the dispensary lacked security, and described waiting in the lobby until he heard gunshots before entering through a shattered reception window and taking jars of marijuana while Oganesyan pleaded for help. Moody was convicted of first-degree murder in Oganesyan’s death and found guilty of multiple robberies; the jury also found true special circumstance allegations of murder during a robbery and multiple murders. Moody received two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole and the District Attorney’s Office did not seek the death penalty.

Anyone who knew Ovik, worked at or patronized that dispensary, or has information about the events leading up to January 18, 2017, is asked to come forward.