BEVERLY HILLS—A funeral service has been held for Vanik Voskanyan, the 40-year-old man who was stabbed to death by 19-year-old Conoray Lawantara in Beverly Hills. He was born in Yerevan, Armenia, before emigrating to Glendale in 2009. Voskanyan held jobs in construction, jewelry, and as a dental technician.
The funeral was held at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank, followed by his burial at Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale. Over 100 people attended the service, including the victim’s family and friends, who are demanding that the man responsible for the crime be brought to justice.
Voskanyan was allegedly stabbed to death by Lawantara following a confrontation in an alley on August 30, 2026, around 11:39 p.m. Witnesses said Voskanyan had been going through trash bins in the alley shortly before the altercation began. The incident occurred in the 400 block of North Palm Drive in Beverly Hills, behind the apartment building where Lawantara lived.
Lawantara has claimed he acted in self-defense. However, Judge Keith Schwartz rejected that notion during a bail hearing, saying Lawantara “stabbed him repeatedly, like in a horror movie.” The judge also said he believed Lawantara had no reason to make contact with Voskanyan in the first place.
Conoray Lawantara is a Beverly Hills resident and an Indonesian national. He attended an $80,000-a-year Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island before graduating in 2025.
By Milan Manesh