Life sentence for man convicted of killing 3 in Denver

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing three homeless people in a Denver parking lot last year.

Thirty-nine-year-old Maurice Butler was sentenced Thursday by Judge J. Eric Elliff to three consecutive life prison sentences for three convictions of first-degree murder.

In an interview with The Denver Post, Butler maintained his innocence and said he planned to appeal.

Prosecutors said Butler killed 28-year-old Nicole Boston, 39-year-old Jerome Coronado and 45-year-old Christopher Zamudio over a $200 drug debt last August. All three were shot in the head.

Butler's defense attorneys maintained that the victims had repaid their debt and that the killings more likely were committed by an organized group connected to some property crimes.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com