JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A Jefferson County judge has sentenced a 37-year-old man to 96 years in prison in relation to the fatal stabbing of a man at a Lakewood motel, the First Judicial District Attorney's Office announced Monday.
The sentence comes after a jury on Aug. 31 found Jesus Osvaldo Bernal guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Brigido Badua. The jury also found Bernal guilty of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bernal, a six-time felon, also faced habitual criminal charges, the DA's office said.
According to the DA's office, Bernal had met Badua five days before the stabbing when they were released from the Adams County jail at the same time. Badua and his wife were staying at the Trails End Motel, located at 9025 W. Colfax Ave., when Bernal arrived at his room on May 30, 2019, the DA said. The motel is located between Wadsworth Boulevard and South Kipling Street in Lakewood.
Bernal testified during the trial, where the DA said he admitted that following a short conversation, he stabbed Badua in the heart with a large hunting knife.
Bernal said he’d stolen the knife just a few days prior and carried it with him everywhere he went, the DA said.
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