When police officers found a grandmother dead under a bloody mattress in a Denver hotel room, the suspect, who was present and holding two large knives, admitted to stabbing the woman multiple times, authorities said. 

Two years later, the defendant entered a plea agreement that dropped the first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder with a recommendation of 32 years in prison by prosecutors. 

Second-degree murder conviction carries a maximum 48-year prison sentence. 

Israel Casarez, 51, pleaded guilty on Jan. 12 to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Dina Casias, 55, on Jan. 21, 2022. The terms of the deal call for Casarez to serve 32 years in prison and five years of parole. He will also have a prior weapons charge dropped — a class-five felony.

The victim’s family is furious.

Floyd Casias, the brother of Dina, calls the deal “an insult,” saying he doesn’t want Casarez to have the possibility of being on the streets again. 

In a statement to The Denver Gazette, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said she does not believe prosecutors could have proven Casarez’s guilt to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt for first-degree murder.

A broken window

Denver Police officers were called to the Western Hills Motel at 5035 W. Colfax Ave. on Jan. 21, 2022 around 11 p.m. over reports of a man breaking windows in a unit.

Another caller reported that there was blood in the motel room, and multiple people heard screaming in the background, according to arrest records.

Upon arrival, Denver Police Department officers spoke to Casias’ daughter-in-law. She claimed that Casias was being held hostage or injured in the motel room by her boyfriend — who authorities later identified as Casarez.

Officers found a broken window in the unit. A mattress had been pushed up against the broken window from inside the room. Furniture had also been pushed against door. Upon entry, officers found Casarez with two knives and Casias underneath a mattress on the floor, according to records.

Casias, who died, sustained multiple stab wounds to the chest.

Her son noted that he arrived around 5:30 p.m. and attempted to enter the room. He claimed to see Casarez through the window, standing with a knife.

The family attempted to gain entry for hours, but Casarez refused to let them in, claiming he would let them in if they brought him drugs, according to the daughter-in-law.

The son then called the police, but they didn’t respond until after he broke into the window, Floyd Casias said. 

When officers arrested Casarez, he admitted to stabbing the victim three times, according to the records. 

Officers found a “bubble-shaped glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine,” according to other court documents.

A grandmother, mother and friend

The family began a petition to press for the higher charge of first-degree murder.  

“Dina is a mother, sister, grandma, auntie, cousin and best friend to many. She is an innocent soul, and was brutally taken from us,” a petition by the family on Change.org reads. 

“I’m not going to say that she didn’t have prescription pills before this guy,” Floyd Casias said. “Her situation kept getting worse and worse after she met this man.”

According to Floyd Casias, her sister met Casarez right after their mother passed away in September 2021. 

“At the time we lost our mom, she was also going through problems with her housing. This Mr. Nice Guy takes her in,” he said. 

He said Casias began living with Casarez. He then kicked her 17-year-old daughter out of his apartment and got kicked out of his own apartment later. They began living on the streets, he said. 

Floyd Casias said he gave them money for a motel room in January, right before the murder.

Casarez had been arrested on charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender in December 2021, just a month before the murder. Casias used money from Floyd to bail him out, according to Floyd Casias.

Casarez had 32 prior charges dating back to 1989, court records showed. The crimes ranged from drugs, habitual traffic offender to DUIs and burglary. Casarez was arrested multiple times in Weld County, Jefferson County and Denver County, among other places in Colorado.

Floyd Casias and Casarez only met once before the killing.

“I told him, ‘The best you can, take care of my sister,'” Floyd said. “He looked straight to the ground and mumbled something about barely being able to take care of himself. My one impression was not good.”

Months later, Floyd would be looking at the same man in court on charges of killing his sister.

The plea

The defense initially pleaded not guilty, and the defense attorney, Colorado State Public Defender Megan Ring, filed for two separate competence evaluations on March 25 and June 26, 2022.

Both doctors found that Casarez was competent to proceed with the trial, according to court documents.

Dr. Joshua Hatfield diagnosed Casarez with methamphetamine and cocaine use “disorders.” Hatfield concluded Casarez was competent to stand trial.

Deputy Denver District Attorney Michelle Williams filed an objection to the potential testimony of an impaired mental condition, saying the Colorado legislature already concluded it does not apply to ingesting drugs.

The jury trial, set for June 2023, was vacated. Casarez signed the plea agreement on Jan. 12, 2024, dropping the charges to second-degree murder and the December 2021 weapons charge.

Prosecutors doubted they would be able to prove Casarez acted with intent — the key element of a first-degree murder conviction — as he was under the influence of drugs.

“Dina Casias’ murder was a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved her,” McCann said in a statement to The Denver Gazette.

“Israel Casarez must and will pay a significant price for killing Dina but, given Mr. Casarez’ mental state at the time of the crime, I don’t believe we could have proven his guilt to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt for first-degree murder,” she wrote. “It should be noted that, given the fact that Mr. Casarez is 51 years old, the 32-year prison sentence that he will receive for second-degree murder could very well mean that he will never be a free man again.”

Casarez is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in Denver District Court on March 6.

For Floyd Casias, and the rest of the family, the 32-year sentence won’t heal wounds.

“It ruined my nephew, who was at the scene. He’s the one who saw his mom’s body in a heap of blood. My kids, that’s the only aunt they knew. Now, they grow up and their story is that their aunt was murdered,” he said. “It didn’t just affect Dina’s life by taking it and ending it. All the ripple effect is being disregarded on this sentence guideline.”

“I’m just asking for the judge to consider the maximum,” he concluded.