4th judicial district
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Colorado Springs mother Deborah Nicholls’ murder conviction overturned
A Colorado Springs mother convicted in 2008 of murdering her three children in a house fire might get a new trial after a judge ruled that prosecutors withheld key evidence that could have impacted the jury’s verdict. Deborah Nicholls, whose conviction was overturned Saturday, is scheduled to be transferred to the El Paso County jail…
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Defendant’s competency in question in El Paso County case involving slain Army police officer
It will be another 60 days before a 4th Judicial District court determines if a man charged in the shooting death of an Army police officer is competent to proceed in his case. Judge Erin Sokol granted a request Wednesday to have the defendant, Cameron Burton, undergo a third and final mental health evaluation before…
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Judge expected to decide Monday whether to accept latest plea agreements for Hallfords
An El Paso County judge is expected to decide Monday whether to accept new negotiations that would extend the prison sentence for Jon and Carie Hallford, coming on the heels of the court rejecting the original plea agreements for the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home. The new agreements would see the Hallfords…
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‘Everything happens for a reason’: Veterans Trauma Court aims to help military members in times of need
Five years after he separated from the Army, Mark Bisset found himself in the Colorado criminal justice system. Bisset’s story started on April 9, 2022. According to past Gazette coverage of the case, the arrest stemmed from an alleged incident in which Bisset rode a four-wheeler to a property in the Indian Creek subdivision in…
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Judge accepts new plea agreements for Return to Nature owners
Jon and Carie Hallford will not see 2026 trials after all, as an El Paso County judge ruled to accept the most recent plea agreements for the pair Monday, despite heavy opposition from families who used their funeral services. The Hallfords came under a multi-agency investigation in October 2023 after an inquiry into their Penrose Return to…
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Man accused of assaulting, attempting to kidnap Colorado Springs woman sentenced to probation
The man arrested after reportedly threatening to stab and kidnap a woman at a spa in Colorado Springs earlier this year avoided any jail time during his sentencing on Monday. Thomas McCarley, 54, was arrested on Jan. 28 after Colorado Springs police responded to a call of a disturbance involving a man with a knife…
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Grand jury to investigate deadly July shooting involving El Paso County Sheriff’s deputies
The Grand Jury for the 4th Judicial District will review a deadly shooting to determine if criminal charges should be filed against the El Paso County Sheriff’s deputies involved, according to a Monday news release. The incident, which occurred July 18 in the Security-Widefield area, resulted in the death of Brian Prine, 59, according to…
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Cause of death revealed for self-proclaimed Planned Parenthood gunman
The self-proclaimed gunman in the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs in November 2015 died from congestive heart failure and other related medical conditions, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a recent court filing. The Federal Bureau of Prisons database shows that Robert Dear Jr., 67, died Nov. 22, at the U.S. Medical Center…
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Competency concerns arise again for arson suspect in Teller County fire
After already being deemed competent to proceed to trial once earlier, competency concerns again took the spotlight Monday for the woman allegedly behind the Highland Lakes fire that burned nearly 170 acres near Divide last year. Lowa Tillitt, 77, also referred to as Lacey Tillitt in public records, was arrested Jan. 16 for allegedly starting…
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Hearing held for Planned Parenthood shooting suspect ahead of 10-year mark
Robert Dear Jr., the alleged gunman in the 2015 Planned Parenthood shooting that left three dead and nine injured, is in the process of being committed civilly due to his mental health after being deemed incompetent despite forced medication. Similar to the past several state hearings, Thursday’s hearing provided little new information. Instead, attorneys in…