A 65-year-old Morrison man was sentenced in Jefferson County District Court on Friday to 40 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend.
Jerald Arthur Cross was sentenced for second-degree murder in the Oct. 7, 2018, shooting death of 61-year-old Julie Isaacson, according to the district attorney’s office. Isaacson, a teacher at an elementary school, had been shot twice in the head with a 9mm pistol.
Jerald Cross SE today to 40 years prison for murder of his 61YO girlfriend in Oct, 2018. Jury returned lesser Murder 2 at trial in Nov, 2019.
— DA Peter A. Weir (@DA1Colorado)
Cross was convicted by a jury Nov. 7.
“The jury heard testimony that Ms. Isaacson had told family and friends that Cross had been physical with her and that she had an exit strategy to leave the relationship,” according to a district attorney’s news release. “She wanted to wait until the end of the school term so as to lessen the impact on her students.”
Courtroom testimony revealed that Cross committed the murder “because he couldn’t give her up.” Cross faced a prison range of 16- to 48-years.
