A Pueblo man has been found guilty by a jury of reckless manslaughter, but acquitted of second degree murder in the shooting death of his step-father on June 23, 2020.
Tyler Idell, 25, was found guilty on Monday in the 10th Judicial District Court of Colorado of reckless manslaughter, a class four felony, for shooting and killing Leslie Cole, 52. This charge is punishable by up to six years imprisonment or $500,000 in fines.
During the trial, the defense team requested an acquittal of the now-convicted felon. The request was denied by the presiding judge, Deborah Eyler.
According to a police affidavit, the incident began when Idell and his mother got into an argument.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has until May 13 to select from three finalists advanced by a selecting committee to serve as a judge in the 10th Judicial District of Colorado.
The finalists for the position are Steven Laman, of Pueblo, who is also currently a Pueblo County magistrate in Division 305; Timothy O Shea, of Pueblo, a personal injury attorney working with the Fuicelli & Lee practice where he leads the Southern Colorado office; and Margaret Vellar, of Pueblo, a senior deputy district attorney in the 4th Judicial District of Colorado who was named the Colorado District Attorneys Council Prosecutor of the Year in 2019.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged jails and prisons throughout Colorado, facilities like the Pueblo County Detention Center have been largely unable to accept new inmates.
As a result of several changes, many criminals can repeat their crimes again and again without fear of spending time behind bars, according to law enforcement officers.
Since March 24, the 10th Judicial District of Pueblo has had a court order in place to limit overcrowding in the jail, intended to help suppress COVID-19 among personnel and inmates.
The order allows law enforcement to use discretion when choosing whether to arrest and book some criminal suspects involved in civil, misdemeanor, traffic or petty offenses.