El Jebel Man Accused Of Murdering Aunt, Uncle Bought Gun On Same Day
EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4) – A judge ruled on Tuesday that a trial can proceed against a man accused of murdering his aunt and uncle while their children got ready for bed.
William Anderson Amaya, 33, is accused of shooting 40-year-old Mayra Lopez and her husband, 42-year-old Eliseo Lopez, on July 12 in their El Jebel home where Amaya had been living. The coroner says they were each shot four times.
The shooting occurred while the victims' teenage sons were going through their evening bedtime routine. The teens managed to escape and call for help.
"This was an important legal milestone in proving the defendant's guilt in this horrific killing. Mayra and Eliseo Lopez were loving parents to two young boys who were also targeted by Amaya," District Attorney Bruce Brown said in a statement. "It is a blessing that these courageous young men escaped the gunfire and summoned police."
According to a statement released on Tuesday, Amaya had legally purchased the gun allegedly used in the shootings on the same day from a store in Grand Junction.
Prosecutors haven't revealed a motive in the murders.
Amaya remains in custody without bond.
