BRIGHTON, Colo. — A man was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of shooting a King Soopers distribution center supervisor outside the facility in 2021.
Michael Poydras, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder after a two-week jury trial in Adams County District Court, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney.
The charge stems from Oct. 20, 2021, when officers with the Aurora Police Department responded to the 1700 block of N. Tower Road after receiving a report of a shooting. When they arrived at the scene, they found several shell casings and a crashed vehicle. A man inside the car had several gunshot wounds, according to the district attorney's office.
The man, who was transported to a hospital and died, was identified as Ryan Dillard.
Detectives found surveillance video from a nearby industrial park that captured the shooting. It showed a suspect dressed in all black and hiding behind a sign around 9:17 a.m. the morning of the shooting. As a driver passed him, the suspect was seen running toward the car and opening fire as the driver tried to leave, according to the district attorney's office. The suspect then fled the scene.
As detectives continued to investigate the fatal shooting, they learned that Dillard had been hired on Oct. 4 of that year to replace a supervisor at a distribution center for King Soopers, located at 1861 Tower Road. Dillard learned as he moved into the new role that some of the employees at the center were running a payroll scheme, according to the district attorney's office.
Poydras had previously worked at the distribution center and when Dillard was hired, Poydras was still on the payroll and allegedly involved in the scheme, but was no longer working for King Soopers, according to the district attorney's office.
Detectives were able to identify the suspect in the shooting as Poydras.
Poydras was convicted of first-degree murder on July 21 and sentenced on Thursday to life without the possibility of parole.
"This was a cold and calculated murder, committed in broad daylight for all to see,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “Mr. Poydras murdered a supervisor to keep a payroll scheme he was benefiting from in operation. I’m grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation and my team at the DA’s Office for securing justice in this heinous case."
The case against Jerrelle Smith, Poydras' co-defendant, is pending in Adams County District Court. The details of his involvement are not clear.
