WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Jesus Romero, who was convicted of brutally killing a woman in his Greeley apartment in 2018, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday morning.

A Weld District Court Judge gave Romero the life sentence after he was found guilty of first-degree felony homicide, criminal negligent homicide, and sexual assault in the killing of 58-year-old Edna Woodrum.

“This has been a very long and emotional road for Ms. Woodrum’s family,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Anthony Perea said. “After three years of an uphill battle, we were able to finally get justice for the victim and her family. Though no sentence or outcome in this horrific case will ever bring Ms. Woodrum back, I’m grateful we’re able to finally put this case to rest, and that the family will be able to get some sort of closure in this nightmare they’ve been living the past few years.”

Romero called 911 on April 25, 2018 and told dispatchers his neighbor was not responding and lying in a pool of blood. Officers found a bloody Woodrum lying naked, dead on the floor in Romero’s senior living facility apartment. A neighbor reported hearing an argument and three hard thumps against the wall.

Romero told police that Woodrum had agreed to have sex with him, which is why she was in his apartment. Evidence later showed that Romero and Woodrum were not in a relationship and had not socialized in the past.

An investigation uncovered that detectives believe Woodrum bled to death, after a 17.5 inch wooden handle from a bathroom plunger was found sticking out of her anus.

“It’s disgusting and repulsive,” Jessica Bridgman, the victim’s daughter said at the sentencing. “He is a monster and shows in human form that evil does exist on this earth. The world needs to know evil can even be our next door neighbor and we must always be aware, at all times, no matter what.”