When a father went into his 14-year-old son’s bedroom, I bet the last thing he expected to find was a plan to kill his family. But, a murder-for-hire contract is exactly what he found. The contract, written and signed by the son and the son’s friend, stated the friend would murder the teen’s dad, step-mother, and step-brother for $1,200. The idea was to kill the family in a ‘burglary gone bad’ scenario. The teen planned to run to a neighbor’s house after the shooting began and call 911 from there. When the police questioned the friend, he stated he thought the contract was a joke and had no intention of carrying out this plan. The son is being charged with Solicitation to Commit Murder in the First Degree.
What is Criminal Solicitation in Fort Collins?
C.R.S. 18-2-301 – Criminal Solicitation – is defined by Colorado law as:
In the case above, the teen persuaded his friend to commit a felony by offering him money for the homicides. Any time a person tries to get someone else to commit a felony, Criminal Solicitation will be charged in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park.
What is the Punishment for Solicitation in Larimer County?
Criminal Solicitation is penalized the same as Criminal Attempt in Larimer, Boulder and Grand County. Basically, the level felony or misdemeanor of the underlying crime is stepped down one level in an Attempt or Solicitation charge. If the underlying crime is First-Degree Murder, a class 1 felony, Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder would be charged as a class 2 felony. Similarly, a class 4 felony Theft would be charged as a class 5 felony for Solicitation / Attempt to Commit Theft.
It is important to note, juvenile sentencing and punishments work differently than a person charged as an adult. If your child is facing Solicitation or Attempt charges, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to walk you through the specifics of these charges and all the potential sentencing ramifications.