A man who was found guilty of shooting a family friend dead on Christmas Day over a gambling loss was sentenced last week to life in prison.
On Feb. 18 an Arapahoe County jury found Curtis Davis-Barnes, 38, guilty of first-degree murder, among other charges, in the 2019 death of 39-year-old Aarion Derritt, according to the district attorney’s office.
Arapahoe District Court Judge Darren Vahle immediately sentenced Davis-Barnes to life in prison with parole, the DA’s office said in a news release.
“Itap hard to believe that a friendly holiday gathering would end in murder, but that it is exactly what happened here,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “This defendant was unhappy that he was losing a game, so he calmly retrieved a firearm and shot the victim to death. I am glad we were able to obtain justice for the family of the victim, although nothing will bring back Mr. Derritt.”
Aurora police were called to the home at about 2 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2019, and found Derritt in the basement. He was shot multiple times.
“The homeowner told officers that family and friends had come together for a Christmas party,” the release said. Several people went downstairs to play poker and dice, Davis-Barnes lost about $650 to Derritt and he became angry. Davis-Barnes went upstairs and returned with a handgun. He shot the victim, grabbed cash from Derritt’s pockets and fled the home. He was later arrested.
Davis-Barnes was also convicted of aggravated robbery and felony menacing in the case.
