Seeking Justice for Homicide Victims

The 1st Judicial District Attorney’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy community for Jefferson and Gilpin County residents includes effectively and ethically holding people who victimize others accountable. Seeking justice for victims of homicide and their families is our highest priority.

In 2018, Colorado’s violent crime rate surpassed the national rate.

Nonetheless, like many communities, we experienced a peak in homicides in 2020, and while rates have been declining since then, they have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Our homicide case filings by year are shown below. Approximately one-quarter of local homicides involve multiple defendants; each defendant is charged in their own case, so there are always more case filings than actual homicides. For example, in 2022, 25 homicide cases were filed for 15 deaths in the 1st Judicial District.

Homicide is the unlawful killing of a person by another. Here, we include murder in the first degree (“Murder 1”), murder in the second degree (“Murder 2”), and Felony Murder (when an individual is killed during the course of a felony committed by the defendant). More than 2/3 of our homicide filings are for Murder 1.

Although homicide cases comprised only 25 of the 18,403 cases we filed in 2023, they are much more likely to go to trial than other cases, and we dedicate a significant portion of our office resources to effectively prosecuting homicide cases.

Our Victim Witness Unit serves family members and loved ones throughout the case and during trial by providing support, information, and safe spaces such as the Porchlight Family Justice Center and the Victim Witness Center at the Courthouse.

Families also get to know our paralegals, a dedicated unit assigned to homicides and the unsung heroes of securing justice for murder victims. Our paralegal unit was one of the first in the state and supports the prosecution of homicide cases by:

Paralegals play a crucial role in jury trials, often the first to arrive and the last to leave each day. They meticulously prepare displays, organize evidence, and create presentations for the jury. Collectively, they have contributed to over 100 trials and boast a combined experience of over a century within our office. Each member brings a unique skill set, from paralegal certifications from the State of Colorado to a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. One team member supports the Economic Crime Unit with specialized knowledge in forensic analysis and accounting, while another is nationally recognized for their expertise in detainer and extradition law. Because of the expertise and essential support provided by our paralegal unit, nearly 90% of our homicide cases since 2017 have resulted in convictions.