DENVER—A Colorado man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing three homeless people in a Denver parking lot last year.
Thirty-nine-year-old Maurice Butler was sentenced on July 25 by Judge J. Eric Elliff to three consecutive life prison sentences for three convictions of first-degree murder.
In an interview with The Denver Post, Butler maintained his innocence and said he planned to appeal.
Civic Center drug dealer sentenced to life in prison without parole for murders of three homeless people https://t.co/EbKyIqFOUS
— Denver News (@denvernews) July 26, 2019
Prosecutors said Butler killed 28-year-old Nicole Boston, 39-year-old Jerome Coronado and 45-year-old Christopher Zamudio over a $200 drug debt last August. All three were shot in the head.
“Yes, Nicole Boston, Jerome Coronado and Christopher Zamudio were all people who happened to be experiencing homelessness, but they were first and foremost people.” Read this important story from @DenverWestword https://t.co/lSk0t38YST
— CO HomelessCoalition (@COCoalition) September 10, 2018
Butler’s defense attorneys maintained that the victims had repaid their debt and that the killings more likely were committed by an organized group connected to some property crimes.
