Trial of man accused of killing Colorado Springs taxi driver set to begin

Zachary Dupont, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read

Jan. 30—The trial for Demar Rayel Ravenell, who is accused of killing a Colorado Springs taxi driver over a year ago, is slated to begin next week.

In a brief hearing on Monday morning, the prosecution and defense said they were ready for Ravenell's jury trial, which prosecuting attorney Sharon Flaherty said would last two weeks.

Ravenell, 22, is accused of fatally shooting Brian MacDonald, 42, in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2022, in MacDonald's taxi.

At Ravenell's preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors showed a still image captured from the surveillance footage within the taxi that allegedly showed Ravenell pointing a gun at MacDonald's head "less than a second" before he shot MacDonald in the back of the head.

The surveillance footage from MacDonald's taxi cab was not played at the preliminary hearing, but Ravenell's defense attorney Michael Stuzynski told the court that the full surveillance footage will be played at trial.

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Ravenell's trial is slated to begin Feb. 7, but all parties will return to court the day before for a motions hearing.

Ravenell is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and weapon possession by a previous offender. If Ravenell is convicted of the first-degree murder charge, he will be given a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

He has been charged with first-degree contraband possession while in custody. Judge Jill Brady said the new case — which Ravenell picked up in October — will be dealt with following the conclusion of Ravenell's murder trial.

Additionally, Ravenell was also wanted in connection with a homicide that took place in St. Stephen, S.C., on Sept. 27, 2021, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

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