A 21-year-old man from Estes Park has pled guilty to Manslaughter – C.R.S. 18-3-104 in the death of his 16-year-old girlfriend. This was an emotional trial for the small town, as both the victim and the defendant were well-known and loved. The young man was sentenced to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by a Larimer County District Court judge.
What is Manslaughter in Larimer County?
Manslaughter is charged when a person:
- Recklessly causes the death of another person; or
- Aids or intentionally causes another person to commit suicide.
Manslaughter is a class 4 felony in Fort Collins, Loveland and Johnstown. The young man received the maximum sentence for this crime. According to reports, the man had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend, and in a fit of anger, he went and got his shotgun and loaded it. His girlfriend grabbed the weapon and they struggled for it. In the midst of the fight, the shotgun went off and she was hit and passed away. The death was originally ruled a suicide, but the man’s story changed as time passed, and they were unable to find a fingerprint on the trigger of the shotgun. The man was arrested and charged with three felonies: Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor – C.R.S. 18-6-701, Manslaughter, and Menacing – C.R.S. 18-3-206. As part of the plea deal, the other charges were dropped. The Estes Park man must have worked with an experienced criminal lawyer – he could have been facing charges of Second Degree Murder – C.R.S. 18-3-103, if the prosecution could have proven that the death was not the result of reckless behavior.
A Moment of Anger Ends with Manslaughter Charges in Estes Park
Situations like this are incredibly sad. Both the man and the young girl had terrible childhoods which included abuse. Both were well-loved by the community. The young man’s employer says that the conviction “feels like another death,” and that the couple meant a lot to her. One moment of anger and this young man’s life has been changed and a life has been lost.