Man Who Claimed Wife Shot Herself Convicted Of Murder
DENVER (CBS4) -- A Denver man who claimed his wife shot herself has been convicted of murder. Cain Wilkens, 44, was found guilty second degree murder after a five-day jury trial.
Clarissa Wilkens, 30, was shot on Jan. 21, shortly after the couple hosted a birthday party at their apartment at 1500 South Albion Street. That's near South Colorado Boulevard and East Florida Avenue.
Cain Wilkins ran to the manager's unit at 3:19 a.m., screaming that his wife had shot herself. According to the affidavit, police arrived about five minutes later and found Clarissa Wilkens in the bedroom -- with a gunshot wound in the back of her head. There was no soot or stippling around the wound, which are commonly found near close-contact gunshot wounds. Detectives also noted there was no blood on her hands, which is inconsistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the arrest affidavit, detectives saw signs of a struggle in the bedroom, including a broken picture frame and a fan and laundry basket that were knocked over. A neighbor who lived above the couple told police he heard a woman screaming "No, no, no!" and a man yelling "Get back here!" multiple times just before the shooting.
Cain Wilkins was arrested the following day. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25.
