A 67-year-old Louisiana man was sentenced to 32 years in prison on Thursday for conspiracy to commit murder in connection with a Lone Tree man’s 1985 shooting death during a home invasion.
Michael Shannel Jefferson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping in 2021, 36 years after the death of Lone Tree businessman Roger Dean, 51, on Nov. 21, 1985.
Dean and his wife, D.J., were at home when an intruder broke in and forced Roger Dean to tie up his wife, according to previous reporting. D.J. Dean told police she heard scuffling and gunshots downstairs and found her husband’s body.
Jefferson was identified as a suspect after a crime analyst linked him to the case by comparing DNA found at the scene to the DNA of Jefferson’s deceased parents.
He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder in August. Two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records.
In a statement, Dean’s daughter, Tamara Harney, thanked the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for never giving up on her family.
“Jefferson has never taken any accountability for his actions. I’m pleased with the sentence and feel a sense of closure, but nothing can change the fact I’ve lived without a father for 39 years,” Harney said.
Jefferson maintains that he is not guilty and “took his fate into his own hands” by accepting the plea deal, his attorney Michael Faye said in a statement.
Related Articles
Crime and Public Safety | Second person killed in Denver’s 16th Street Mall stabbings identified Crime and Public Safety | Man arrested on suspicion of murder in November shooting in Denver’s Hampden neighborhood Crime and Public Safety | Teen arrested after fatal shooting outside northeast Aurora home Crime and Public Safety | Man dies after fight outside south Aurora home Crime and Public Safety | Denver man on the run wanted for murder in July shooting in Aurora, police say“He was not about to risk the rest of his life in prison at the hands of a system that he no longer had any faith in,” Faye said. “Nobody knows the injustices of our criminal justice system more than Mr. Jefferson and I cannot blame him for choosing this path, as difficult as it was.”
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Man sentenced to 32 years prison for conspiracy to commit murder in Lone Tree cold case )
Also on site :
- Barbra Streisand Reveals Jaw-Dropping Details of Scandalous Proposal from Hollywood Icon!
- In Q1 2025, enterprise SaaS M&A deal count hit 210, according to PitchBook
- ‘Like the world has forgotten us:’ As Iran-Israel conflict escalates, Gazans fear their suffering will become invisible