Stephanie Griego walked into the Aurora home of her 24-year-old daughter’s boyfriend Tuesday, expecting to find her asleep on the couch.
When she pulled back covers draped over the young girl, she lay stiff — so cold to the touch that it was obvious she was dead, police records say.
Next to the body of her daughter, Danielle Griego, lay her motionless boyfriend, Elmo Johnson, 44, suffering from an apparent overdose, according to an arrest affidavit. Police say Johnson had shot Danielle Griego in her chest the night before, killing her.
Johnson was hospitalized after the killing and then charged last week with first-degree murder and felony menacing. He was released from medical care Wednesday .
Friends of Danielle Griego told police that Johnson was physically and mentally abusive, documents say, The night before he allegedly killed Griego, Johnson waved a gun at her and her friends in a jealous fit, according to documents.
Johnson denied knowing anything about his girlfriend’s death in an interview with investigators, police said, and told them he had been drinking vodka the night of the homicide and might have blacked out.
Court records show Johnson has a long criminal history that includes several charges in connection with violent crimes. Six days before Danielle Griego was killed, Johnson was arrested on weapons and drug violations in Adams County before he was released on bond, records show.
Johnson is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County Jail.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jesseapaul
