A Denver man who shot and killed his wife with his son asleep in the next room will spend the next four decades in prison, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Denver District Judge Stephanie Scoville sentenced Tyler Nelson, 32, on Wednesday to 40 years in prison for killing his wife, 30-year-old Breanna Canter, in September 2024, court records show. A jury of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in Canter’s death.
“Breanna Canter was a loving mother and beloved daughter whose murder was a terrible tragedy, most profoundly for her young son and her parents,” Denver District Attorney John Walsh said in a statement. “Today’s sentence ensures that Tyler Nelson pays a heavy price for his despicable actions and provides a measure of justice for Breanna, her family, and her friends.”
Nelson called 911 in the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 2024, to report the shooting at his apartment in the 600 block of South Dayton Street, in Denver’s Windsor neighborhood.
He told investigators that he had accidentally shot Canter during a drunken argument about gun safety, but police noticed inconsistencies between his story, the crime scene and the woman’s injuries, according to his arrest affidavit.
Canter died from her injuries at the apartment, and Nelson was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree assault.
