DENVER (KDVR) — The man who shot a couple as they walked their dog in downtown Denver, killing a woman, has been sentenced to life in prison.
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 Attorney’s Office.
“Mr. Close will pay for what he’s done by spending his life in prison,” Denver District Court Judge Lisa C. Arnolds said, according to the DA’s office.
The life sentence carries no possibility of parole, and the sentences are to run consecutively. Close also was ordered to pay $37,000 in restitution.
Man used semi-automatic rifle in shooting
A jury in September deliberated for less than a day when it found Close guilty of first-degree murder with extreme indifference, two counts of attempt to commit first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault.
The shooting happened on June 10, 2020. It was around 11:40 a.m. and Thallas and Simon were walking their dog on Fox Street, near Coors Field.
Close began to yell from his window about the dog. 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 dog’s feces.
Moments later, Close can be seen firing 24 rounds at the couple, killing Thallas almost instantly. Simon was shot twice but survived.
During the investigation into Close, police recovered an assault-style weapon, a Glock 17 and a shotgun. They also found a large amount of ammunition and high-capacity magazines that can hold more than 15 bullets, which are not legal in Colorado unless they’re grandfathered in.
The semi-automatic rifle used in the shooting belonged to a now-former Denver police sergeant, who said Close stole it without his knowledge.
Close fled after the shooting, but police located and arrested him in Pine Junction.