Greeley teen sentenced to 40 years in prison for Brookstone Apartment shooting – Greeley Tribune

A hammer.

Vincent Zamora, 17, will spend 40 years in prison – more than double his life so far – for the shooting that killed 18-year-old Nasier Graham and injured another teenager.

Zamora appeared Friday before 8th Judicial District Court Judge Daniel McDonald to be sentenced for his involvement in the January 2023 shooting.

“I'm not saying Vinny is a bad person. What I’m saying is his actions that night absolutely were,” McDonald said. “These actions cannot be described as anything other than truly malicious. »

In April, Zamora pleaded guilty to three counts – second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder – as well as three sentence enhancements for crimes of violence involving the use of a weapon. His plea agreement stipulated that he would be charged as an adult.

Zamora is the second person to be convicted in the shooting. One of the three teenagers arrested in the case, who has never been identified, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, a Class 4 felony, with an increased sentence of aggravated juvenile delinquent and was sentenced last June to four years in prison at the Department of Youth Services.

The other teen, who also has not been officially identified, completed a three-day transfer hearing Wednesday. McDonald, who is also overseeing this case, is expected to decide whether the 17-year-old will be tried as an adult or a juvenile at a later date. His return is scheduled for 4 p.m. on July 18.

All suspects were aged 15 at the time of the incident.

Statements from both sides

About 20 people gave emotional statements on behalf of the two victims as well as Zamora, with the vast majority becoming more and more emotional as they spoke, some taking a few moments to collect themselves while others were shaken. sobs while speaking.

The 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office called a total of 17 family members, friends and supporters of the victims to speak about the impact of this incident on their lives.

Gabriel Ballesteros, the victim who was shot when he was 16, said the incident had a significant impact on his life because of his ability to be present, do his homework and simply live day to day ; Former family members said he underwent several surgeries to repair his arm and had to relearn how to use it.

He also said Graham had mentored him when they played football together and was devastated to learn what happened that night.

“I admired him so much,” he said.

Graham's family members and friends – many of whom wore a purple ribbon on their shirts in his honor – praised the 18-year-old.

Chief District Attorney Robert Axmacher read a statement from Yvonne Brooks, Graham's grandmother, as she stood nearby with two pairs of boots.

She said their family always hugged each other and told them to be safe before leaving, which she did to Graham that same evening.

“He didn’t deserve this,” Axmacher read. “My grandson will be missed, but he will not be forgotten. »

When Axmacher finished speaking, Brooks fell over the two clear boxes of dirty work boots, sobbing before briefly leaving the courtroom where she could be heard crying in the hallway.

Lexi Hensley, Graham's girlfriend who was with him minutes before his death, said he truly was the best partner she could have asked for. She said, through almost constant tears, that he would bring her flowers, memorize her orders from her favorite restaurants and that he looked forward to their life together and their plans to marry and have children.

“I'm just a young girl in pain,” she said before returning to her seat and hugging Graham's family, continuing to cry.

Frederico Graham, Nasier's father, said his son was a responsible boy and had a good life ahead of him, one that was cut short because Zamora and the co-defendants “chased him down and shot him like a dog “.

He said he remembered something Zamora said in an interview after his arrest, that Nasier must be someone important. Zamora was right, he said.

“Nasier was someone and he was on the verge of doing great things,” he said.

As Graham's family and friends spoke, a slideshow played on a nearby television showed the 18-year-old smiling with his loved ones. Several of those who spoke ended their statements with three quick words: “Long live Nas.”

The defense team called six people to speak on Zamora's behalf, including family members, former teachers and law interns who had worked with him throughout the case.

Elise Heyen Yarborough, a licensed clinical social worker working for the defense team, said Zamora suffered from multiple head injuries, mental health and substance abuse issues and had been emotionally affected by his partner's drug use. mother and the departure of her life.

“Vinny is not a heartless monster,” she said, but rather a child who was severely disadvantaged and who has shown great remorse for what happened.

Many of those who spoke cried when talking about Zamora – all called him “Vinny” – a boy they described as deeply compassionate and big-hearted. Many of those who spoke also turned to the victims' family and friends, to apologize for what happened.

Christopher Zamora, Vincent's brother, said his brother would give his shirt off to those in need and would always go out of his way to make others smile. He said his little brother had experienced a lot of hardship throughout his life and that, despite what others said at the hearing, he was not a bad guy.

“My brother was caught in a mess that he couldn't have gotten out of without putting his own life in danger,” he said through tears. “My brother deserves a second chance.”

Colin Schroeder, a law intern on Zamora's defense team, described him as a particularly kind and compassionate child “with a heart bigger than Texas.”

“I see the good in him, and I see how that dramatically outweighs the bad,” he said. “I see who he is, who he was and who he will become. Vinny is many things, but more than anything, he is a good person.

Manuel Zamora, Vincent's father, said his son had suffered a lot since he was a child, including the consequences of his mother's abandonment. He said that although he tried to get help for his son throughout his life, he was constantly told no.

Through tears, he described his son as an outdoorsman, an explorer and a person friendly to all and compassionate beyond measure.

“The events that took place that night were absolutely horrific and senseless. No one will ever dispute that, not for a single second,” he said. “Our boy will take responsibility for his actions. He's a boy, not an adult like everyone here has called him.

As his father spoke, Vincent Zamora could be seen and heard sobbing at the defense table, with McDonald even giving the boy a quick moment to compose himself.

Lawyer's arguments and Zamora's own statements

Assistant District Attorney Erica Kasemodel began the prosecution's case by flashing a word on the nearby television in white text on a blood-red background: “devastation.”

Kasemodel, after returning to the impact of the incident on the victims and their families, turned to Zamora and why a lengthy prison sentence was most appropriate.

She said throughout the incident, Zamora was given the opportunity to stop what was happening or act differently. Instead, she said, he decided to stand over Graham as he lay bleeding on the ground to shoot him one last time before attempting to murder two other people minutes later .

After playing several interview videos, which had already been played for McDonald during a preliminary hearing for the other defendant, Kasemodel said the way Zamora spoke about the incident showed a defendant who didn't care about those he had injured.

She ultimately asked McDonald to sentence Zamora to the maximum 40 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for “the devastation this defendant has caused to everyone in this courtroom and the impact this crime has had on (the community) “.

Jenifer Stinson, Zamora's attorney, contradicted Kasemodel's description of the teen, saying he was not a cold, calculated killer, but a child who, under the influence of poor mental health and of drug use, found himself in a bad situation.

She said that although Zamora talked about what happened that night during his interview, he also mentioned trying not to cry when talking to Detective Clint Schnorr of the Loveland Police Department and that the incident had “eaten away” at him.

She ultimately requested the minimum of 20 years in prison.

“Vinny took an adult plea in this case,” she said. “He pleads to three serious offenses. He waived his right to a transfer hearing even though he was only 15 years old. This is the very definition of responsibility. And no matter what happens, he will walk out of this courtroom with decades in prison. »

Zamora, speaking on his own behalf, apologized to the families of those involved and acknowledged, “There's nothing I can do to bring back the one person who should be here.” He said he has proven to himself over the past year and a half that he can be a changed person and is eager to achieve his goals.

“I want to achieve my goals, because I owe it to the person who really deserves it but who is no longer here,” he said.

The McDonald's decision

McDonald began his decision by speaking directly to the victims' families, saying he believed hope could even be found in despair.

He said that while he was aware that Zamora was a child, so were the victims of this incident.

He sentenced Zamora to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder and 20 years in prison for each of the attempted murder charges. the two attempted murder charges will be consecutive but concurrent to the 40-year sentence.

After the sentencing, the range of emotions that had radiated throughout the day continued into the courtroom as people on both sides hugged and talked with others around them, many in tears.

Some, including Manuel Zamora, gave Vincent Zamora, 17, a long hug before he was taken away to begin his sentence.