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Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Shooting Neighbor After Fight Over Dog

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- A Thornton man accused of killing his neighbor after witnessing alleged animal abuse was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday. Michael Kourosh Sadeghi shot and killed his neighbor last year.

Police in Thornton rushed to 4625 E. 106th Drive on March 27, 2018 on reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Dustin Schmidt, 42, shot in his backyard.

michael kourosh sadeghi (credit thornton pd)
Michael Kourosh Sadeghi (credit: Thornton Police)

The shooting happened after a German Shepard mix dog belonging to Schmidt's girlfriend jumped the fence into Sadeghi's yard. He was hanging by his leash when Schmidt pulled the dog back over the fence into his yard.

The two men continued to fight and Sadeghi shot Schmidt over the fence. Schmidt suffered four gunshot wounds and died in his yard.

"The defendant's complete lack of remorse is astounding," Chief Deputy District Attorney
Stephanie Fritts said at the sentencing hearing. "He keeps talking about how he's the victim and wrongly convicted. Dustin Schmidt was on the other side of the fence and was unarmed. The
shooting took place after an argument this defendant began. He made the decision that day to
murder Dustin Schmidt."

Sadeghi was convicted after a jury trial last month.

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