A 29-year-old Leadville man faces life in prison after a Lake County jury found him guilty of murdering his uncle in 2020.
Jurors convicted Eric C. Gurule on Wednesday of first-degree murder in the death of his uncle and former boss, Randy Flores, 55, according to the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies were sent to a home in the 1700 block of Highway 24 on Sept. 3, 2020, and found Flores’ body.
There were signs of a struggle and significant damage to the residence, which led authorities to open a homicide investigation, according to the district attorney’s office.
Witnesses told investigators that Flores hosted an after-work gathering on Sept. 2, 2020, and that Gurule had been drinking alcohol and became confrontational, according to the district attorney’s office.
Gurule told investigators that he attended the party and woke up the next morning in his bed, with dried blood on his nose and hands. He said he did not remember the night before.
Detectives with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation noticed that Gurule had a swollen right hand and scratches on his arm, side and back. Flores died of severe blunt trauma, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Our hearts go out to Mr. Flores’ family and the community, and we hope this verdict can close at least this chapter in their grief for this overwhelming loss,” Fifth Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum said in a news release.
Gurule is scheduled to be sentenced July 29.
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