Raffi Kodikian

Raffi Kodikian was charged with killing David Coughlin in 1999. Kodikian pled guilty to second-degree murder and served 16 months. He was released in November 2001. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E6D71F39F934A3575AC0A9659C8B63 Two Went Out, One Came Back] at "The New York Times"]

Kodikian and Coughlin, best friends since college, [http://www.backpacker.com/gear/11044 PANIC!] at "Backpacker"] were in their twenties and lived in Boston. Kodikian was an aspiring journalist [http://www.cjonline.com/stories/032000/new_newmexico20.shtml Diary chronicles friendship, death in New Mexico] at "The Topeka Capital-Journal"] and Coughlin was a traffic policy analyst.

Rattlesnake Canyon

In July 1999, the two set off on a road trip from Massachusetts to California where Coughlin planned to attend graduate school. [http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Features/story/mercykill.htm Murder or Mercy? Murder Mystery In New Mexico] ] August 4, they arrived at Rattlesnake Canyon in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and made camp.

After days of hiking, the two were very lost and dehydrated. Kodikian and Coughlin had only brought three pints of water and one pint of Gatorade. One pint of water was used to boil hotdogs during their first evening in the canyon. Although they had a topographical map, neither knew how to properly read the map. The two took extreme measures including licking rocks, eating cactus fruit, even drinking their own urine. Kodikian was unable to drink his own urine and abandoned the idea after gagging.

The third night, Coughlin began vomiting, according to Kodikian. August 8 Kodikian wrote in his journal:

:cquote|"I killed & burried (sic) my best friend today. Dave had been in pain all night. At around 5 or 6, he turned to me & begged that I put my knife through his chest. I did, & a second time when he wouldn't die."

Lance Mattson, a park ranger who had been searching for the campers, discovered Kodikian badly dehydrated. When the ranger inquired about Coughlin, Kodikian pointed to a pile of rocks and replied "I killed him."

Investigation and trial

Kodikian's attorney, Gary Mitchell, described the killing as an act of kindness. He further stated that it was part of a death pact between the friends and Kodikian intended to kill himself too, but was too weak to do so. Eddy County sheriff, Mark A. "Chunky" Click claimed that Kodikian was "moderately to severely dehydrated," and wasn't close to dying when Mattson found him. Authorities further noted that Kodikian had buried Coughlin's body under rocks, some weighing more than 70 pounds. The weight of the rocks and the completion of the task seemed remarkable for someone seriously dehydrated. The autopsy on Coughlin revealed that while he was dehydrated it didn't appear to be fatal.

While one theory was that Coughlin confessed to having earlier fooled around with an ex-girlfriend of Kodikian, Sheriff Click sent Capt. Eddie Carrasco to Boston, but Carrasco discovered nothing.

:cquote|"No one I talked with ever heard a cross word between them. They were the best of friends."

At his trial, Kodikian pled guilty to second-degree murder. During the sentencing part of Kodikian's trial, it became clear that Coughlin's vomiting was not indicative of severe dehydration but instead was most likely a reaction to unripe cactus fruit.

While Kodikian faced a possible maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. [http://www.amarillo.com/stories/051100/usn_hiker.shtml Hiker gets 2 years for stabbing] ] , he was instead sentenced by District Judge Jay Forbes to 15 years with all but a two years suspended. This was to be followed by five years of probation.

Further reading

*"Journal of the Dead : A Story of Friendship and Murder in the New Mexico Desert" Jason Kersten ISBN 0060959223

References