LOVELAND, Colo. — A man was sentenced to 39 years in prison for killing a man at a Loveland intersection in 2015, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office announced.
William Connole, 65, was fatally shot around 10:45 p.m. on June 3, 2015, while he was standing at the intersection of East 1st Street and North St. Louis Avenue.
Roughly 15 minutes prior, someone fired shots at a motorcyclist near the intersection of Denver Drive and East 18th Street in Loveland. The rider was not injured, according to the sheriff's office.
The two shootings were turned over to the Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force at the request of then-Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker, the sheriff's office said. The task force was created to investigate two more similar shootings that happened in April and May 2015.
Two years and eight months later, authorities identified Christopher David Parker as a suspect in the June 2015 shootings, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities said the shootings of Connole and the motorcyclist were linked by forensic evidence but were not linked to the other shootings.
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Parker was arrested on March 13, 2018, and booked into the Larimer County Jail.
He plead guilty to second-degree murder and faced a sentence between 16 to 40 years in prison, according to the sheriff's office. Judge Susan Blanco on Monday — more than eight years after Connole's death — sentenced Parker to 39 years in prison.
“This outcome delivers justice to a man who terrorized our community, but the irreparable harm he caused can never be reversed,” said Sheriff John Feyen in a statement. “The name of this murderer is not worth repeating, but Mr. Connole’s legacy will live on here in Larimer County as we remember the positive impact he made on all who knew him.”
Authorities are asking for the public's help in solving the two similar shootings that happened in April and May 2015.
Cori Romero was shot in the neck around 11:15 p.m. on April 22, 2015, while she was driving. At the time, she was merging onto southbound Interstate 25 from Harmony Road in Larimer County. Romero survived her injuries, according to the sheriff's office.
John Jacoby was shot and killed around 10:15 a.m. on May 18, 2015, while he was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Weld County Road 15 and Weld County Road 72 in Windsor, the sheriff's office said.
Anyone with information about the two shootings is asked to call 970-498-5595 or email taskforce@larimer.org. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of those responsible.
