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Defense Attorney Kerry Steigerwalt, far left, pictured in Superior Court on the first day of testimony on Wednesday with co-counsel Jay Monico and Kellon Razdan, who is on trial for the 2021 murder of Aris Keshishian. Photo by Laura Place
Defense Attorney Kerry Steigerwalt, far left, pictured in Superior Court on the first day of testimony on Wednesday with co-counsel Jay Monico and Kellon Razdan, who is on trial for the 2021 murder of Aris Keshishian. Photo by Laura Place
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Razdan murder trial: Suspect left his severed fingertip at scene

WARNING: Graphic crime scene photo depicting a portion of defendant Kellon Razdan’s severed finger reportedly left at the crime scene. Viewer discretion is advised.

VISTA — Investigators were able to place defendant Kellon Razdan at the scene of a fatal stabbing in August 2021 after discovering a portion of his severed finger, among other identifying evidence, law enforcement officials testified this week in Vista Superior Court. 

Multiple San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials, a physician and a neighbor who witnessed the attack all took the stand this week to testify in the trial of 21-year-old Razdan, who is charged with the first-degree murder of 20-year-old Aris Keshishian

Keshishian was stabbed 44 times in the abdomen, chest and back near his home in the Stone Canyon gated residential community on Via Vera Cruz in San Marcos while taking his dog for an evening walk on Aug. 15, 2021. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office alleges Razdan planned the attack and specifically targeted Keshishian, his former elementary school classmate. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, prosecutors specifically focused on the tip of a pinky finger left behind at the bloody scene in a residential driveway, which would later be found to match Razdan through DNA testing. 

Razdan was seen missing part of his left pinky following the attack when he arrived at Palomar Hospital that night with several injuries to his hands. Razdan told emergency room physician Dylan Mann and a sheriff’s deputy that he had caught his hand in an automatic bicycle chain.

“I did not think the wounds were from a bike chain,” Mann testified Wednesday. “What I saw were deep linear cuts, which did not seem consistent with that.” 

Razdan murder trial: A photo of defendant Kellon Razdan's severed pinky finger left at the scene where 20-year-old Aris Keshishian was fatally stabbed in August 2021 near his San Marcos home. Photo courtesy of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
A photo of defendant Kellon Razdan’s severed pinky finger left at the scene where 20-year-old Aris Keshishian was fatally stabbed in August 2021 near his San Marcos home. Photo courtesy of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

Part of Razdan’s right pinky ended up also being amputated due to the extensive lacerations, and he received stitches on other areas of his hands, Mann testified. According to Deputy Robert Riggs, Razdan was identified as a person of interest due to the nature of his injuries and the discovery of surveillance footage depicting a Kia Optima, registered in Razdan’s name, entering and exiting the neighborhood.

Razdan was arrested at the hospital after being treated.

Investigators who searched Razdan’s home over the next several hours discovered a blood-covered Toldadi folding knife, believed to be the murder weapon, in his room. Photos were also displayed in court, showing trails of blood in the garage, inside the house and on the exterior and interior of his vehicle.

Forensic evidence technician Michelle Hardy, who took photos at the house, testified Thursday that the knife was found “in plain sight” on the bedpost in Razdan’s room. Subsequent DNA testing of the blade and handle found matches to both Razdan and Keshishian, according to criminalist Darren Bowles. 

Searches of Razdan’s email account indicated that he ordered the knife on Amazon eight days before the attack, per court documents. 

Key testimony about the attack itself came Monday from Melissa Spinelli, a neighbor living in the same Stone Canyon community as Keshishian, who witnessed the attack in progress and called 911. 

Spinelli said she was walking her dog when she saw clothes and a pair of slider shoes in the middle of the street. She reported seeing “a massive amount of blood” in a driveway out of the corner of her eye and a man, physically similar to Razdan, who appeared to be repeatedly punching another man on the ground.

Footage from a nearby Ring camera contains audio of Spinelli yelling at the man to “knock it off” and Keshishian yelling for help, which was played in court. 

Spinelli said after she yelled, Razdan got up and “sauntered” toward his car and then started to say, “Well, he …” before she yelled again that she would release her German shepherd if he came near her. Razdan then reportedly got into his car and drove away. 

“He walked in a relaxed, unhurried way. Like you’re carrying coffee and you don’t want to spill it,” Spinelli said. “There was no squealing of tires, no urgency.”

Spinelli tried to render aid to Keshishian, who was only in his underwear, while on the phone with 911. Paramedics arrived within minutes. 

During cross-examination, defense attorney Jay Monico asked Spinelli whether she saw any object in the assailant’s hand, and she said she did not. Spinelli also testified that she did not see Keshishian fighting back.

Monico asked if she recalled previously telling law enforcement officials during an interview that she had seen a “fight,” which he said implied that two people were involved. Spinelli repeated that she did not see the other man fighting. 

Emotional testimony also came from Keshishian’s father, Henrik, on Monday. Through tears, Henrik testified that he, his wife and his daughter went out looking for Aris after finding the family dog alone outside the house before discovering the gruesome scene.   

The trial is expected to last until Feb. 16. Razdan has pleaded not guilty. 

For the latest crime reports in Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar, please visit The Coast News’ Weekly Crime Reports. For up-to-the-minute arrest reports in North County, check out Daily Arrest Logs. Read more local crime news here. Find crime updates at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department website

1 comment

CharlotteWhitney February 7, 2023 at 9:22 am

The details make me sick. I can’t Imagine what Aris’s family is going through. I hope they can eventually find some kind of peace.

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