She claimed that he’d suffered an abusive and traumatic childhood, as well as a number of more recent personal setbacks including job losses, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a breakup.īut, while Close pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, a jury found that he had been aware of his actions when he shot at Thallas and Simon. NBC News reports that Close’s public defender, Sonja Prins, argued that her client had had a mental break. But ever since, Close and his legal team have argued that he wasn’t in his right mind when he shot at Thallas and Simon. Police were able to track down and arrest Close that night after he fled from his apartment. And as the young couple lay bleeding outside his apartment, Close retreated back indoors, where he called an ex-girlfriend and told her he’d “just killed two people.” Simon was shot twice and managed to run a short distance until he collapsed. Thallas Family Isabella Thallas had just celebrated her 21st birthday when she was gunned down.Īs the Denver Post reports, Thallas was shot in the back and died instantly. Then, he fired on the young couple 24 times. According to the Independent, he shouted at the couple from his window, demanding: “Are you going to just yell at that dog or train it?” When Simon told him to “mind his own business,” Close retreated into his apartment and grabbed an AK-47, which he’d taken from a friend who was a Denver police sergeant. Prosecutors maintained that Thallas and Simon were unaware that they were near Close’s home as they stood nearby and told their dog to “go potty.”īut their proximity rankled Close. “And our lives were changed forever.”Īccording to NBC News, Close confronted Thallas and her boyfriend, Darian Simon, on June 10, 2020, as they encouraged their dog to relieve itself outside his Denver apartment. “We’ve been waiting two and a half years for this day and what happened in there just went by … almost as fast as my daughter was slaughtered,” said Thallas’ mother, Ana, per the Denver Post. Now, he’s been found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
After exchanging words with the dog’s owners, he retrieved an AK-47 and opened fire - killing 21-year-old Isabella Thallas and injuring her boyfriend. When Michael Close saw a dog defecating outside his Denver, Colorado, apartment in June 2020, he became enraged.
Denver District Attorney’s office Michael Close pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but jurors found that he was aware of his actions.
0 kommentar(er)
