ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — An Arapahoe County jury on Thursday convicted a man accused of fatally shooting his soon-to-be ex just over a year ago.
David Lechner's trial began Monday in the death of his soon-to-be ex-wife, Tracy Lechner.
The jury found Lechner guilty of first-degree murder, attempted kidnapping and use of a stun gun on Thursday afternoon, a few hours after it started deliberations. Lechner was found not guilty of felony menacing.
On Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Around 8 a.m. on March 30, 2023, numerous people called 911 to report "shots fired" in the 5200 block of South Geneva Way, which is in the area of East Belleview Avenue and South Dayton Street, south of Cherry Creek Reservoir.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, one witness, who was in the area for business, said he saw a man, later identified as David Lechner, standing over a woman on the ground. He said the man shot her at point-blank range and ran to a vehicle. The woman was identified as Tracy Lechner.
The witness reported that he attempted to stop Lechner by crashing his van into his SUV, but Lechner was ultimately able to leave.
Lechner was later located about a mile away near East Orchard Road and South Havana Street, where deputies took him into custody. While being arrested, he told deputies that he was armed with a weapon, and a gun was found in a bag in the passenger seat, the affidavit says.
"I couldn’t believe it," said Neal Veta, Tracy's neighbor of about eight years. "I mean, this is something that happens in the movies or on tv shows, but to someone like Tracy, the sweetest, most kindest lady, it was just absolute devastation. I couldn’t believe it and when I first heard it could be Tracy, I just prayed. I was just praying that it wasn’t true."
He has remained in custody since the shooting despite a Colorado Supreme Court ruling after a judge set his bond at $100 million on June 29, 2023.
According to civil court documents, the couple began divorce proceedings in January 2023. On March 31, a day after Tracy Lechner was killed, a judge was set to hear permanent orders for the divorce.
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