Pueblo man gets 70 years in prison after 2021 killings of Raymond Ray Jr., Eric Trujillo

A Pueblo man convicted of killing two people was sentenced Thursday to serve 70 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Nicholas Tumblin, 33, pleaded guilty in March to the shooting deaths of Raymond Ray Jr. and Eric Trujillo in two separate plea deals.

Judge William Alexander accepted the plea deal, sentencing Tumblin to 44 years in prison for the murder of Raymond Ray Jr, plus 16 years for Ray's kidnapping. His family had reported him missing in July 2021, and his body was found by a landowner in rural Pueblo County on Aug. 17, 2021, authorities have said. Ray was 24.

Tumblin was also given 10 years in prison for one count of first-degree possession of contraband in an unrelated case, to run after the murder and kidnapping sentences for a total of 70 years.

Along with his prison sentence, Tumblin will be required to serve five years on parole if he acheives parole.

Tumblin also was sentenced to six years in prison for one count of manslaughter related to the death of Eric Trujillo, which he will serve at the same time as his other sentences, followed by three years of parole.

During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution read several letters from both victims' families.

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Eric Trujillo's daughter remembered how her father would call her "every morning, afternoon, and night," and she said she would miss having him to "guide her through the dark times" in her life, and having him as a role model and guide.

Trujillo, 36, was killed in October 2021.

She lamented the fact that she could no longer ask him about his life before meeting her mom, about the movies he wanted to see, spend time with him on holidays, or ask him what color she should paint her nails. Her father also will never be able to meet her future husband or be at her wedding, she said.

"I wonder if Tumblin ever thought about the effect he would have on his two daughters, or even that he had friends and loved ones who would be hurt," she said.

Trujillo's brother, Jason Kuntz, said that the loss of his brother had been traumatic for the whole family and that it had deeply affected the entire family socially, mentally, and physically. Kuntz also stated that he did not believe the sentence in Trujillo's death was appropriate and "did not fit the crime."

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Finally, Kayla Ray, sister of Raymond Ray Jr., told the court that her brother's death had caused her unimaginable pain, which was only worsened by three weeks of not knowing where her brother was before his death was confirmed. Ray said she and her brother were very close.

"There was this one time, he made up this whole story about how the stars were actually satellites, and when you die, you become one, just to make me laugh," she said. "We had our satellites and also a pact not to go to Hawaii without each other — that was our thing."

Ray said that every birthday since, she has listened to a voicemail from her brother, "saying, 'happy birthday, baby girl, I love you.' It fills me with anger and sadness that he's not here to say it," she said.

She also said that while "most girls dream of their fathers walking them down the aisle for their wedding, I always thought it would be Junior." Ray expressed anger that it would never come to pass.

Addressing the objection from Trujillo's brother, Judge Alexander stated that while he understood the concerns raised, he believed both the defense and the prosecution had worked diligently to come up with a bargain that was not too lenient or too harsh.

"While I cannot say if something is appropriate, I don't believe the plea is inappropriate," he said.

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Tumblin declined to make a statement on his own behalf.

Tumblin will also be required to pay an as-yet undetermined amount of restitution to the victim's families. He will also be given 918 days of pre-sentence confinement.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Nicholas Tumblin sentenced to 70 years after killing two men in 2021