DENVER — A Denver man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Travis Tuomi, 45, was convicted in May of first-degree murder after deliberation and tampering with a deceased human body.
On Friday, he was sentenced to life in prison along with a 12-year concurrent sentence for tampering with a deceased body.
The Denver District Attorney's Office said Tuomi strangled Elizabeth "Liz" Hatlas, 50, to death manually and then placed an extension cord around her neck in an apparent attempt to make it look like a suicide in August 2022.
Hatlas' body was found in the backyard of the home she and Tuomi shared in the 3600 block of High Street the following day. Tuomi was arrested later that day.
In May 2022, Hatlas had called Denver Police to report that Tuomi had physically abused her.
The detective who was assigned to the case was found not to have adequately followed up on Hatlas' report. She received a three-day suspension.
