A 43-year-old Denver man with a lengthy criminal history has been sentenced to life in prison for a 2013 murder and attempted murder in Aurora, officials said Monday.
Kenneth Donald Mackey was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a burglary in the 1400 block of Lima Street in Aurora that became a murder and attempted killing, according to a news release from the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office.
Mackey and Gregory McCoy forced their way into Martel Cornelius Thomas’ house early in the middle of the night on Nov. 26, 2013, the release said.
Mackey and McCoy were shooting and physically fighting with Thomas, who the assailants knew to be a drug dealer. Another victim hid in the home.
After attempting to steal drugs, cash and other valuables, Thomas eventually armed himself with a revolver and fatally shot McCoy once in the chest, the release said.
Mackey found a samurai sword in the apartment and continued to fight Thomas who eventually left but collapsed in a nearby alley where Mackey found him.
Thomas was later determined to have three gunshot wounds, including one that killed him.
Mackey then returned to the apartment where he shot the hiding victim before leaving in Thomas’s vehicle. The victim survived her injuries and called police.
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Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ehernandez
