Aurora mother sentenced to 84 years in prison for second-degree murder

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

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The mother of a 5-year-old girl whose charred remains were found in an Aurora home last May was sentenced Wednesday in Arapahoe County Court to 84 years in prison.

Alexus Nelson, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, tampering with a corpse and attempting to influence a public servant — all felony charges — during a June 12 disposition hearing.

The plea agreement dropped additional charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Joseph Whitfield sentenced Nelson to 48 years in prison for second-degree murder, 24 years for tampering with his child's remains and 12 years for attempting to influence a public official. The sentences will be cumulative for a total of 84 years in the Department of Corrections.

Maha Li Hobbs, a 5-year-old girl from Aurora, was reported missing on Tuesday, May 31, 2023, while police were searching for her and her mother, Nelson.

Maha Li was reported missing from Aurora on May 31, 2023. (Photo provided by the Aurora Police Department)

Just two days later, Nelson was arrested after Aurora detectives found the child's charred remains in a plastic bag hidden in a closet in Nelson's apartment, according to the arrest affidavit .

During the disposition hearing, Nelson's attorneys pointed to the mother's significant childhood trauma as a factor in Hobb's death.

“Nelson had an irrational fear that anyone caring for, interacting with or helping Maha Li would be more dangerous…and lifelong traumatic than Maha Li remaining home alone for extended periods of time,” the defense said during Wednesday's hearing. “This belief so tragically led to the opposite of what Nelson thought he was achieving that it led to the death of Maha Li.”

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