GOLDEN, Colo. — A Jefferson County jury found a 39-year-old man guilty Thursday in the murder of a 32-year-old woman who was found dead in the bathtub of a hotel in Lakewood, according to a news release from the First Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Lakewood Police Department (LPD) was called to Chalet Motel on West Alameda Avenue on a suspicious death report on Nov. 2, 2019, said the release.
Police found Rotasha Pryor-Thomas dead in the bathtub with the water running and overflowing onto the floor, according to the release.
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Thomas died of asphyxiation on the night of Oct. 31, 2019, according to the release.
Following an investigation, Jarvis Gates was arrested at about 2 p.m. on Nov. 5. A jury convicted Gates of the following charges on Thursday:
- First-degree murder- after deliberation
- First-degree murder - felony murder
- Second-degree kidnapping
- Tampering with physical evidence
According to the release, LPD's investigation included DNA evidence, fingerprints, and cell phone mapping. Security camera footage from the motel also played a crucial role, according to the release.
Gates is being held at the Jefferson County jail without bond until sentencing which is set for May 5.
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