Text: This interesting detail certainly comes from Ether’s record—a random event that contradicts the clearly parallel earlier pattern of sons’ rebellions against father-kings. In those accounts, the conflict usually results in overthrowing the king. Shez2’s rebellion sounds like another such event; but rather than the expected capture of the king comes the random accident that Shez2 dies in a robbery.
This insertion of an authentic and otherwise meaningless detail into what is otherwise a cyclical pattern underscores that Moroni, while emphasizing certain aspects to highlight their repetition, is reporting history recorded on the plates. Were Moroni inventing details, he would not include a random event that thus violates the pattern he is describing. Like Mormon, Moroni is molding history to his purpose, not inventing it.
Culture: Shez2 is killed for his wealth. In this case, the robber seems to be an ordinary thief, not a Gadianton-style robber. Even though there are secret combinations and even though Mormon equated robbers with Gadiantons (and therefore with secret combinations), Shez’s death suggests a nonpolitical and nonorganized act of violence.
The mention of Shez’s wealth allows some speculation beyond the text. Although the Olmec are much earlier than the Maya, it seems reasonable that, also lacking a money economy, they would have worn their wealth like the Maya. I hypothesize that perhaps the robber found Shez alone, perhaps traveling, but dressed in fine clothing and rich ornaments. Because wealth in this form was visibly displayed, townspeople would know that specific items belonged to Shiz. Therefore, the robber would probably take the items to a different city to trade for something he found more useful. Only in a different location could sumptuary goods be displayed again without their former owner or the owner’s family recognizing and reclaiming them.