At the trial in September, prosecutors described the murder as a "rage-motivated mission for respect." Nothing will ever take that away from the fact that my daughter is 6 feet underground. A memorial for Isabella Thallas in Denver (Benjamin Rasmussen / The Atlantic) M ichael Close, the man who is charged with killing Bella and grievously wounding Darian, was 36 on the day of the . The complaint document states Close intended to harm both Isabella Thallas and Simon. Contact: Carolyn Tyler, Communications Director, carolyn.tyler@denverda.org, 720-913-9025. 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. Darian would never walk the same again. ", "It was hard not having dad in the home," she said. . The shooting happened outside an apartment complex in the Ballpark neighborhood in June 2020. He and the co-owner of the company spoke to CBS4 last fall on Small Business Saturday. Neighborhood surveillance video then showed Close opening his blinds and pointing a high-powered rifle at the couple as Simon bent down to pick up his dogs feces. He ran from the scene until he collapsed not far away. The shooting happened on June 10, 2020. Ana Thallas, Isabellas mother, said Thursday that she felt numb. You're 19 years old. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), I still can't process that.". 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 . media-tech companies with hubs around the world. "The burning sensation. He then left his apartment and drove west into the mountains with both the AK-47 and a pistol. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The man used an AK-47to carry out the crime while also wounding the womans boyfriend identified as Darian Simon. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The jury deliberated for a few hours Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday before one juror was excused and an alternate juror seated. She still waits to hear her daughter Isabella's car pull up to their Denver home, to walk in the door and to sleep in her room. A Colorado woman has been shot dead and her boyfriend wounded by a gunman who took issue with how the couple told their dog to poop during a walk in Denver on Wednesday. There is no justice in this, he said. 201 W, Colfax Ave, Dept. Vote in our annual food bracket challenge. Honor Bella. But to Ana, she lost her precious child. hitType: 'event', You don't. > Below, an extended interview with Ana Thallas: Isabella was learning about finance at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Tomorrow's a new day, and so you go through the whole day saying, 'I'm going to make it to tomorrow.'". And our lives were changed forever., Ana later tweeted that hearing the handcuffs click was music to my ears., Isabellas 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.. Rahn created a GoFundMe account to help the family. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, was the personal weapon of Denver police officer Dan Politica. 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. Photo: Gofundme. "We were kids having kids and trying to make life happen," Ana said. The man has been identified as Michael Close, 38, and he was found guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Isabella Thallas.The man used an AK-47 to carry out the crime while also wounding the woman's boyfriend identified as Darian Simon. By Associated Press. } Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Ana Thallas gave birth to Isabella when she was 18 years old, just days after graduating from high school. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. She remembered the heat of the day rising from the asphalt as she stood on the other side of crime scene tape near Coors Field and learned the details of what had happened. A Denver man who used an AK-47 to kill a woman and wound a man while the couple was walking their dog near Coors Field was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. DENVER (CBS4) - Isabella Thallas was shot and killed in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood on Wednesday, her family confirmed. By Jacob Factor | jfactor@denverpost.com | The Denver Post. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Craig Silverman and Joshua Maximon, the attorneys for Simon and Joshua Thallas, respectively, provided the following statement on behalf of their clients: Today is the 22nd birthday of Isabella Joy Thallas. "Nothing will ever ease that pain. A judge on Friday sentenced Michael Close, 38, to life in prison for the murder of 21-year-old Isabella Thallas and 48 years for the attempted murder of her boyfriend, Darian Simon, according to the Denver District Attorneys Office. It was around 11:40 a.m. and Thallas and Simon were walking their dog on Fox Street, near Coors Field. According to the publication, prosecutors alleged that Close got into a verbal exchange with Thallas and Simon as they encouraged the dog Rocko to poop in a rock garden outside Closes apartment located at Huron Street near Coors Field. 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. She's gone. 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. Isabella Thallas died in the shooting, and Simon was shot twice but survived, though he had to undergo surgery to repair a broken femur. Tigers: 8-2, averaging 81.5 points, 31.8 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Close faces a mandatory life term when hes sentenced on Nov. 4. He is facing charges for two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, nine counts of using a prohibited high-capacity magazine during a crime, two counts of prohibited use of a firearm and one count of disorderly conduct. }); It took a Denver jury less than a day of deliberation to find Michael Close guilty of killing Isabella Thallas and seriously wounding her boyfriend more than two years ago after an argument about the couple's dog relieving itself in Denver's ballpark area. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. 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. 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 Isabella Thallas. Thanks for contacting us. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Attorneys for Isabella Thallas' father, Joshua Thallas, and her boyfriend, Darian Simon, filed the lawsuit in Denver District Court on [] Isabella's death had a profound effect on the city. Unknowingly, they were right outside Close's apartment. Close cried as the verdict was announced after less than a day of deliberations, as did members of Thallas family who attended the hearing. }); 8:45am Nov 7, 2022. "And it was difficult. Michael Close, 38, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury on Thursday convicted him in the shooting after concluding that he knew what he was doing when he gunned down Isabella Thallas and wounded her boyfriend, Darian Simon, the Denver Post reported. They shared the message behind the brand and showed their passion for spreading it across Colorado. ga('ads.send', { if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ DENVER A man accused of using an AK-47 to kill a woman and wound her boyfriend as they walked their dog was . Trujillo also testified that police arrived on the scene and met Closes girlfriend, Chelsea Thompson, who told them Close had just called her. Pass Prospector Value PASS PROSPECTOR VALUE (PASS) combines two independent valuation systems coupled with continuous blind testing to deliver greater accuracy and hit rate. Updated: 9:19 AM MDT November 4, 2022. Jurors rejected defense attorneys argument that Close was criminally insane at the time of the unprovoked attack. The Denver Post revealed that Thallas was shot in the back. He was stopped and arrested that evening on Highway 285 in Jefferson County. Members of Thallas family also cried as they heard the verdict. Isabella Thallas on the left and Michael Close in his booking photo on the right. Bella would never take another breath. Isabella Thallas, 21, was killed during the shooting. COORS FIELD, DENVER: A man from Denver shot and killed a woman after her dog defecated outside his apartment in 2020. Close will pay for what hes done by spending his life in prison," said Judge Lisa C. Arnolds at the sentencing. The family declined a request to speak to CBS4, explaining they want to respect the investigation. } Close pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting June 10, 2020, in the Ballpark District, when he used an AK-47 to fire two dozen rounds at Thallas and Simon from an apartment window in the 2900 block of Huron Street. Darian Simon and Isabella Thallas (courtesy: Ana Thallas). Michael Close shot dead Isabella Thallas, 21, and injured a Darian Simon, 27, in Denver last June He had allegedly argued with the couple about picking up their dog's poop prior to the shooting About a month after Isabella and Darian moved into together, they took that fateful morning walk. Thank you to the family and friends of Isabella Thallas for allowing me the honor of painting your loved one. (Thomas "Detour" Evans) Denver District Court Judge Lisa C. Arnolds on Friday sentenced Michael Close to life in . },false) According to prosecutors, when Simon responded, "Mind your own business, Rocko is a good dog," Close grabbed an assault-style rifle and fired more than 20 shots, hitting and killing Thallas and seriously wounding Simon. The site where Thallas was gunned down has since been turned into a park and memorial site for the slain Colorado woman. Close, as per Denver police homicide investigator Joseph Trujillo, yelled out of the window as the duo urged their pet to go potty saying, Are you going to train that f*****g dog or just yell at it?Close then grabbed his AK-47, which he reportedly had taken from a friend who was a Denver police sergeant, and fired 24 shots. A Denver judge sentenced Michael Close to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Thallas and attempted murder of Darian Simon. 5 Ways to Connect Wireless Headphones to TV. Prosecutors with the Denver District Attorneys Office said Close was sane during the attack. The two sisters' birthdays were only days apart. You always find beauty in something, whether it's . He entered the plea in Denver District Court on Monday, March 8. "I am delighted that we were able to get justice for Isabella Thallas and Darian Simon," said Denver DA Beth McCann. RELATED: Mother of Isabella Thallas holds onto love, endures through grief. Our lawsuit seeks answers and accountability. The dog was unharmed. A dispute over dog poop turned fatal earlier this year when Michael Close fired 24 shots from a semi . eventAction: 'load' This story contains previous reporting by Janet Oravetz. The Fightin' Hawks' record in Summit play is 6-12. Close then grabbed the AK-47, which he had taken from a friend who was a Denver police sergeant, and fired 24 shots. Nicole Fierro speaks with Luis Garcia's family about how the tragedy of gun violence has impacted them. We've received your submission. "One of our last conversations, I texted her and I apologized to her for the divorce between me and my ex-husband," Ana said. The alleged shooter, Michael Close . Isabella Thallas, 21, and Darian Simon were walking their dog near Coors Field in the Ballpark neighborhood when Michael Close, 36, started yelling at the couple from inside . Ana said that isn't the case for her. 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