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A Colorado man who killed an Air Force veteran while driving drunk last year will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Paul Stephenson, 57, of Castle Rock, was convicted in April of killing USAF Lt. Col. Matt Anderson and injuring his four children after he crashed his truck into their vehicle while driving drunk in August 2024.
Stephenson was sentenced to life in prison plus 92 years.
Anderson was stopped at a 7-Eleven gas station with his family following a trip to the Douglas County Fair when he was killed, according to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. His wife was walking into the store when Stephenson drove his Chevy Silverado into their vehicle.
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While in court, Stephenson admitted to drinking a bottle of fireball whiskey and two beers before driving and his blood alcohol level was 2.5 times the legal limit, the DA’s office said.
Stephenson racked up his third DUI conviction when he was found guilty of killing Anderson.
District Attorney George Brauchler said his office pursued the first-degree murder charge to “send a message to drunk drivers in Douglas County.”
Brauchler, who prosecuted the case, said it is a “bitter coincidence” that justice was handed down against Anderson’s killer one day before July Fourth.
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“It is a bitter coincidence that the day before we celebrate our nation’s independence, we have to confront the loss of one of America’s great Patriots who died… Not at the hands of the enemy… But by the selfish conduct of one of us,” Bruachler said.
“The only appropriate sentence in this case is the one that will prevent things like this from happening again by scaring the hell out of those who would engage in similar behavior.”
Brauchler acknowledged that Douglas County is the most aggressive on drunk drivers compared to other jurisdictions in the area.
Anderson’s father said the verdict gives their family “a small amount of closure” and thanked the agencies involved in handing the sentence down.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Nate Marsh commended the jury’s decision and said it reflected how serious it is to drive drunk.
“The defendant cared only about himself and showed a complete disregard for the value of human life. This was murder in the first degree-extreme indifference and the jury agreed. His life sentence will ensure he cannot rip anyone else from their family,” Marsh said.
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