Pooroushasb Parineh

The Woodside man who earlier pushed for a speedy trial on charges he staged his wife's murder as a suicide to receive millions of dollars in insurance is now looking to hold off another month.

Pooroushasb "Peter” Parineh, 67, was scheduled to begin trial Jan. 22 to accommodate his right to prosecution within 60 days but yesterday the defense asked for another 30 days. Judge Jonathan Karesh agreed and reset the trial for Feb. 25.

Parineh's defense attorney, Dek Ketchum, previously told the Daily Journal his client is eager for trial because of his age and physical condition.

Parineh is charged with murder, gun use and murder for financial gain.

If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have yet to formally say which they will pursue although the assumption is they will not seek death.

Parineh has pleaded not guilty to the Aug. 13, 2010 death of Parima Parineh, 56, who was shot twice in the head in the bedroom of the couple's multi-million dollar home on Fox Hill Road in Woodside. Parineh allegedly gave authorities differing stories; once, he said he found his wife dead and, another time, that he found her wounded and finished the job at her request.

At a preliminary hearing last fall, the prosecution argued Parineh stood to benefit from $31 million in life insurance policies and, outside court, said he also had a longtime mistress.

In April, the Parineh children sued their father for wrongful death, claiming that she "survived the attack for some period of time before dying as a result” and that they also believe his purpose in "willfully and maliciously” murdering her was to benefit financially from certain life insurance payouts.

Parineh remains in custody without bail.