Three guilty pleas in Fort Collins stabbing murder of Timothy Van Dyke
All three defendants charged in the fatal stabbing of 66-year-old Timothy Van Dyke near a Fort Collins King Soopers have entered guilty pleas. Sentencing hearings are scheduled across November, December and January.
All three defendants plead guilty in Fort Collins homicide case
All three people charged over the death of 66-year-old Timothy Van Dyke in Fort Collins, Colorado, have entered guilty pleas, coloradoan.com reports. Sentencing is the only stage that remains, with hearings spread across the coming months.
Van Dyke's body was discovered on 8 March inside a vehicle near the King Soopers at Drake and Timberline roads. He had been fatally stabbed. Fort Collins police arrested Zackary Worrell, Brittany King and Aaron Mack two days later. The Larimer County Coroner's Office ruled the death a homicide, attributing it to multiple stab wounds.
Prosecutors alleged during earlier court proceedings that King told Worrell and Mack that Van Dyke had assaulted her, after which the three confronted him in the parking lot. Investigators further alleged that all three participated in taking property from Van Dyke and his vehicle, including his wallet, following the killing.
Worrell faces up to 48 years
Worrell pleaded guilty to the most serious charge among the three defendants. At an 19 October hearing, he admitted to second-degree murder — a Class 2 felony — and acknowledged he knowingly caused Van Dyke's death on 8 March, according to court records.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors reduced the lead charge from first-degree murder after deliberation, a Class 1 felony. Additional charges — including second-degree murder under Colorado's felony murder statute, aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery with a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence — were dismissed.
Worrell faces between 16 and 48 years in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections, followed by five years of mandatory parole. His sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on 23 November.
King admitted to helping Worrell evade prosecution
King entered her guilty plea on 5 November at a disposition hearing. She pleaded guilty to accessory to first-degree murder, a Class 4 felony, and theft, a Class 3 felony. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed charges of second-degree murder under Colorado's felony murder statute, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.
Larimer County District Judge Joseph Findley accepted the agreement after finding a factual basis for the plea.
As part of the deal, King admitted she helped Worrell avoid being caught or prosecuted after Van Dyke's death and acknowledged taking money and other personal property belonging to Van Dyke. Prosecutors noted in earlier proceedings that King told investigators she expected Van Dyke to be beaten but did not anticipate he would be killed.
King's sentencing is scheduled for 2 p.m. on 14 January 2027.
Mack's sentencing postponed for treatment review
Mack entered his guilty plea on 10 July to accessory to first-degree murder, a Class 4 felony. Prosecutors dropped charges of second-degree murder under Colorado's felony murder statute, aggravated robbery, tampering with physical evidence and criminal mischief.
He appeared in Larimer County District Court on 6 November for what had been expected to be his sentencing hearing, but Judge Findley postponed it until 21 December. Defence attorney Melanie Sedlak requested the additional time so Mack could complete a residential treatment programme due to end around 27 November.
The delay also allows Mack to undergo a fresh community corrections screening. He had previously been rejected for placement in the programme. Prosecutor Matthew Maillaro told the court that community corrections had not had access to a recently submitted mitigation report or details about the residential treatment programme when it initially reviewed Mack's case.
Findley agreed the new information could alter the recommendation.
Mack's sentencing hearing is now set for 4:30 p.m. on 21 December.
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All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)