'Pushed me too far': Man who used excavator to bury murdered property owner told cops they could find his body 'next to that tree'

A Colorado antheral pleaded blameworthy to sidesplitting his employer and burying his body aft helium couldn't hold to circular up a co-conspirator to bargain the victim's money.

Luke Shelton, 21, entered a blameworthy plea connected Aug. 13 and was sentenced the aforesaid time to 56 years successful situation — 48 years for second-degree execution and 8 years for tampering with a quality body. Shelton admitted to sidesplitting 58-year-old John David "Dave" Vieira portion moving connected Vieira's spot connected Jan. 4, 2024. According to an apprehension affidavit obtained by section quality outlet The Daily Sentinel, Shelton confessed to constabulary that he had been plotting to termination Vieira, fell his body, and instrumentality implicit his instrumentality titles and divided the assets with his colleague.

But his plans to perpetrate the transgression with the different antheral fell apart, and helium decided to instrumentality matters into his ain hands.

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That different man, who reportedly lived successful a motortruck with Shelton connected Vieira's property, was the 1 who called 911 aft Shelton changeable Vieira. According to the affidavit, Shelton and Vieira had an statement astir the motortruck connected the greeting of Jan. 4, 2024, which led Shelton to weapon Vieira down. Shelton reportedly told constabulary that Vieira "pushed maine excessively far." The different antheral was not charged with immoderate transgression successful transportation to Vieira's murder.

After shooting Vieira, Shelton enactment the injured antheral in an excavator and buried him, aboriginal telling police, "I buried him successful the dirt, adjacent to that tree." When archetypal responders arrived, they located a freshly dug country of ungraded and began digging. Body cameras captured the moments that sheriff's deputies recovered Vieira and attempted to revive him — but Vieira was already dead.

According to the apprehension affidavit, Shelton repeatedly apologized astatine the country for the killing, aboriginal telling police, "I conjecture it wasn't worthy murdering implicit money," and "I'm going distant for a agelong time."

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The Daily Sentinel was successful the courtroom to perceive Vieira's grieving household talk during the sentencing, including his brother, who said, "It's unfortunate the State of Colorado has done distant with the decease penalty." Assistant DA Jessica Waggoner told the tribunal that Vieira had fixed Shelton a accidental "to alteration his stars" by giving him a occupation erstwhile nary 1 other would, "And this is the acknowledgment helium gets."

When the defence spoke, Vieira's household near the courtroom. Citing her work to supply Shelton with ineligible defense, his co-counsel Anya van Soestbergen noted that her lawsuit had admitted work from the start. She stated that Shelton had "snapped" erstwhile helium killed Vieira, and helium was upset aft committing the crime. Shelton did not talk astatine his sentencing.

Delta District Judge Steven Schultz told Shelton that what helium did was "a genuinely evil act. The information you couldn't power yourself connected Jan. 4, 2024 is unforgivable."

Schultz ordered Shelton to service his sentences consecutively, for a full of 56 years.