The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in hopes of cashing in on a hefty life insurance policy did not enter a plea yesterday to capital murder
Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, 64, could face the death penalty if convicted of murder for financial gain in the April 13 death of his 56-year-old wife, Parima.
Parineh, in his third court appearance since his arrest, did not enter a plea and was ordered back to court July 15 to do so.
Peter Parineh called 911 April 13 to report finding his wife dead in a bedroom of their multi-million home on Fox Hill Road. He told authorities he believed his wife had killed herself.
Within days, however, authorities say they questioned the story — doubt compounded by multiple shots to Parima Parineh, substantial debt including the home being in foreclosure and life insurance policies rumored to be $20 million.
The insurance policy’s suicide exclusion period had passed, making Parineh eligible for a payout if his wife was found to have indeed kill herself.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Parineh June 17 in Sunnyvale and he is being held without bail.
The Parinehs, who had been married a long time, lived at the home with a grown son and daughter. Another child lives elsewhere. All said they were not home at the time of the shooting.
By the time emergency responders found Parineh, she had been dead for at least “some hours,” according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.