DEMIRDJIAN GETS LIFE -- TWICE

Gretchen Hoffman

SAN FERNANDO -- A judge’s ruling appeared to do little to ease the

pain of three sets of parents in a San Fernando courtroom Monday.

For the parents of Blaine Talmo Jr. and Christopher McCulloch, who

were found murdered on the playground of Valley View Elementary School on

July 23, 2000, legal justice won’t bring back their sons.

For the parents of Michael Demirdjian, convicted of killing Blaine,

14, and Chris, 13, there’s still a long way to go in clearing their son,

whom they believe is innocent of the crimes.

In November, a jury found Demirdjian guilty in the slayings, which San

Fernando Superior Court Judge Judge Ronald S. Coen said were “tragic,”

“heinous” and “bordered on animalistic.”

On Monday, Coen sentenced Demirdjian to two consecutive life terms in

prison without parole and ordered him to pay $10,000 in restitution. He

also denied a motion for a new trial and found that Demirdjian was not

fit to be sentenced as a juvenile.

Before Coen leveled his sentence, he listened to the parents of

Demirdjian’s victims, and to Demirdjian himself.

Blaine Talmo Sr.’s voice shook as he asked the judge to impose the

maximum sentence. Demirdjian, he said, had showed no emotion or remorse

about the killings.

“What happened in the schoolyard that summer was evil,” Talmo said.

“Nothing can take away the pain or help the families of the kids we

lost.”

Demirdjian softly denied killing either of the boys.

“I just wanted to say I didn’t kill no one,” he said.

Sossi Demirdjian, Michael’s mother, broke down as Chris’ mom clutched

a framed photo to her chest and told the judge about her son’s hopes and

ambitions.

“This is the child that, at the age of seven, I brought to America in

the hope that he would have a better life,” Aileen Bristow said. “I have

to go on the rest of my life without him. And I am not finding that very

easy.”

Charles T. Mathews, Demirdjian’s attorney, maintains his client is

innocent and said he plans to appeal the case.

“He’s still our son,” Gary Demirdjian said outside the courtroom.

“He’s innocent -- that’s all I know.”