This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Closes public defender, Sonja Prins, said he had suffered a mental breakdown, claiming an abusive childhood, a string of job losses, a breakup and the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to his poor mental health at the time of the shooting. By Associated Press. Deliberations then started over at about 11:15 a.m Thursday and ended around 2 p.m. A candlelight vigil was held in her honor Thursday evening, and Thallas's mother, Ana Hernandez Thallas, spoke with Anne Trujillo in an exclusive interview. Thallas mother Anna Thallas after Close got convicted of murder, said, Weve been waiting two and a half years for this day and what happened in there just went by almost as fast as my daughter was slaughtered. Being completely emotional, she continued, And our lives were changed forever. Anna later tweeted that hearing the handcuffs click was music to my ears.Isabella Thallas father, Joshua Thallas, told reporters outside the courtroom that there is no justice in this compared to the amount of loss caused by Closes poor choices. Sonja Prins, who is Closes public defender, stated that he had suffered a mental breakdown. "How did this happen? eventAction: 'view' According to the transcript, Politica did not contact police until 4:20 p.m. when he called the lead detective nearly five hours after the shooting occurred. Thallas, 21, was killed last year by a gunman who used an AK-47 owned by a police officer. The shooting happened outside an apartment complex in the Ballpark neighborhood in June 2020. The court documents filed on behalf of Simon and Isabella Thallas father, Joshua Thallas, name Close, former Denver police Sgt. Ana Thallas said the mural was a fantastic idea, I know that her energy and her soul and everything about her and the people that love her the most are all right here, she told 9News. The jury also convicted him of an additional count of first-degree murder in connection with Thallas death, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault. A Denver judge on Friday sentenced Michael Close to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Isabella Thallas murder: Denver man who shot dead 21-year-old woman over dog poop is found guilty, Man tapes dog poop to his wall with threatening note for person who let their pet take a dump in his garden. Isabella was there and would support you, she told KDVR. "I was too young to have a child, and he was too young to be married. Thallas' 21st birthday was two days before. Close allegedly started shooting soon after. We are one of the worlds fastest growing DENVER The man who shot and killed Isabella Thallas and injured her boyfriend Darian Simon while the couple was walking Simon's dog near Coors Field in June 2020 will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Honor Darian. "The Lord called her home and she is resting in peace with Him.". "I am delighted that we were able to get justice for Isabella Thallas and Darian Simon," said Denver DA Beth McCann. We begged her to stay home, and she chose love.". Michael Close, 38, knew what he was doing when he killed Isabella Thallas, 21, and twice shot her boyfriend, Darian Simon, on June 10, 2020, as they encouraged their dog to defecate outside Closes apartment near Coors Field, the jury concluded. Moreover, I am extremely proud of our prosecution team for their excellent work.. "My daughter's dead," she said she remembered thinking. Another friend told detectives that Close messaged him after the fatal shooting and wrote, Dude, I f***** up really f****** bad, theres no going back from this now, KDVR reported. READ MOREMan tapes dog poop to his wall with threatening note for person who let their pet take a dump in his garden, DOG DID IT! 801Denver, CO 80202, September 22, 2022 Paired with the largest online property and ownership database in the nation, PASS uses a hedonic model that incorporates property characteristics that are combined with appraisal logic and price-time indexing to arrive at . Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. "We were kids having kids and trying to make life happen," Ana said. DENVER -- Newly obtained court testimony shows the alleged killer in Isabella Thallas' murder last year texted and left a voicemail on the day of the shooting for a Denver police sergeant from whom he is accused of stealing a rifle used in the shooting.. "We go home after this, my family broke, still without my daughter. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Simon was shot twice but survived. The family of a woman fatally shot last year in Denver has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged shooter and the former police sergeant whose gun police believe was used in the shooting. Politica filed a resignation letter Feb. 13 and left DPD one month later for reasons unrelated to this case. Close will pay for what hes done by spending his life in prison," said Judge Lisa C. Arnolds at the sentencing. Close shot and killed Isabella Thallas in 2020 and also tried to kill her boyfriend. Thallas was struck in the back and died at the scene just two days after celebrating her birthday. A judge sentenced . The only place in Denver, guys., READ NEXT: California Pastor Left Church for Erotic Dancing Career on X-Rated Site, Denver Man Fired 24 Shots in Murder of Woman Over Dog Poop: Cops, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. A Denver jury convicted Michael Close of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the June 2020 shooting that killed Isabella Thallas, 21, and injured her boyfriend, Darian Simon, during an arg Vote in our annual food bracket challenge. Newly obtained court testimony shows the alleged killer in Isabella Thallas murder last year texted and left a voicemail on the day of the shooting for a Denver police sergeant from whom he is accused of stealing a rifle used in the shooting. RELATED: Mother of Isabella Thallas holds onto love, endures through grief. "Nothing will ever ease that pain. A jury in September deliberated for less than a day when it found Close guilty of first-degree murder with extreme indifference, two counts of attempt to commit first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault. He must now undergo a court-ordered examination; afterwards, experts will determine whether or not he is qualified for an . Isabella Thallas father, Joshua Thallas, said the guilty verdict did not feel like a win. I did something really bad. Upon arrival, authorities found Thallas dead and Simon suffering from gunshot wounds to his legs. There's a notion that when a murderer is convicted, it provides a level of closure to the victim's family. But to Ana, she lost her precious child. Ana said she thought Darian was amazing but she didn't think Isabella was emotionally ready for such a move. . Sentencing was set for November 4, 2022, at 1:30 in courtroom 5H. Denver DA Beth McCann said in a prepared statement that she was delighted that her office was able to get justice for the victims. The death of her daughter on June 10, 2020 is still too much to . Close began to yell from his window about the dog. Hundreds of people gathered to remember her days after the shooting, and a Denver park was renovated in her memory, with a mural painted by a local artist. Luis Garcia was inside a car at East 17th Avenue and Esplanade, just north of the school, when he was shot on Feb. 13 just after 2:30 p.m., police said at the time. DENVER ( KDVR) The 16-year-old who was shot while sitting in his car near East High School on Feb. 14 has died, according to the family spokesperson. According to a transcript of a November 2020 Denver District Court hearing, lead detective Joseph Trujillo testified that minutes before the shooting, Close sent a text to Politica. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, who was killed in a shooting while walking her dog. Sept. 23, 2022, 11:07 AM PDT. The outlet also reported that surveillance video was shown during Closes hearing and it showed Close pointing the gun at the couple and firing 24 rounds at them. DENVERToday, after deliberating for less than a day, a Denver jury found Michael Close (age 38) guilty of murdering Isabella Thallas and attempting to murder Darian Simon when he shot them in Denvers Ballpark-area on June 10, 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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Suit names suspect and former Denver police sergeant who's gun was used in the shooting. Close faces a mandatory life term when hes sentenced on Nov. 4. Nothing will ever take that away from the fact that my daughter is 6 feet underground. "No, I never will," she said when asked whether she felt a sense of closure. He'll go to jail, they're without a son, a brother, so there's no winners in this.". She said Thallas had just turned 21 days before she was killed. / CBS Colorado. The murder weapon was an AK-47 reportedly owned by DPD Sgt. }); COORS FIELD, DENVER: A man from Denver shot and killed a woman after her dog defecated outside his apartment in 2020. On Friday, a Denver District Courtjudge sentenced Michael Close to life in prison for the murder of Thallas and to 48 years in prison for the attempted murder of Simon. Her mother shared that photo with CBS4 on Thursday. Ana encouraged her daughter to earn her degree and use it in a career in the fashion industry. 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