Latest / Least of These / 228. “A Night Out” - The Case of Pamela Cabriales - Denver, Colorado

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228. “A Night Out” - The Case of Pamela Cabriales - Denver, Colorado · Least of These

• 0:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to least of these where I cover the cases that need it most because every life matters then everyone deserves justice.
• 0:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host Leah D in today I'll be covering the case of Pamela Cabrieles and Denver, Colorado.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's get right to it.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: On February 20, 2021, 32-year-old Pamela Cabriela spent the evening getting all dolled up to go for a girl's night out with her long-time friend, Latisha.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Latisha told the Denver Gazette that she had met Pamela through a mutual friend six years earlier, and she had helped Pamela break into the real estate business by getting her job in her office.
• 1:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela worked hard and ultimately got a real estate license of her own.
• 1:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: The two women quickly became close, which wasn't surprising.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Latisha recalled that as soon as you met Pamela, she gave you that feeling that you've known her forever.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Pamela was the kind of friend that was always there for you, the kind of friend we'd all be lucky to find.
• 1:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Latisha also told the Denver Gazette that Pamela was not only an amazing friend, but also a great mom to her six-year-old son.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as we all know, life gets busy, especially for a mom.
• 1:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: That winter of 2021, Pamela and Latisha hadn't seen each other in months, and it was beyond time for them to catch up.
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the two friends made plans for dinner at Ocean Prime.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a fancy little restaurant right there in the heart of Denver.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela got all dressed up, brushed her long-dark hair and got her makeup just right.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can imagine how excited she was for a girls' night out with one of her closest friends.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Dinner couldn't have been more perfect.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: The two friends laughed and joked and caught up on everything they'd missed over those months.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela told Latisha all about her aspirations of getting into interior design.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Latisha told the Denver Gazette that Pamela was really happy like she always was.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: After dinner, Latisha dropped Pamela off at her car, the two women parted ways in Latisha told Pamela to text her once she had made it home safe.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Latisha had no way of knowing when she hugged her friend goodbye that night, that that text would never come.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela got into her SUV and headed back home to her son.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: The route took her down I-25 to the intersection at West Colfax.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: As she approached the traffic light, Pamela hit her brakes but not quite hard enough, and her 2008 Range Rover SUV bumped the car in front of her, which was a dark-colored Honda.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was a minor accident, a fender-bender at best, with no injuries or significant damage to either of the vehicles.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: A situation where you might not even swap insurance cards just confirm everyone is okay and move on with your life.
• 3:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that's not what happened in this case.
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: As Pamela Cabriela sat in her car at that intersection, a male got out of the Ford or Honda.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: According to a probable cause affidavit, the male walked to the passenger side of Pamela's Range Rover and opened fire within AR-15.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: More than 8 bullets struck the windshield.
• 3:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: After peppering Pamela's SUV with bullets, the male got back into the passenger seat of the Honda and took off West on Colfax Avenue.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Witnesses watched in horror as a scene unfolded in front of them, unable to do anything except call for help.
• 4:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: At approximately 10.45 pm Denver police officers arrived and found Pamela in her car, with gunshot wounds to her head.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela Cabriales was clinging on to life, and she fought for days, but ultimately Pamela succumbed to her injuries.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: A 32-year-old mother was gone from this world seemingly over a fender-bender.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Back at the scene, two spent two, two, three shell casings were recovered from the street in front of the Range Rover.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Officers spoke to witnesses who all describe basically the same thing.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: A male climbed out of a forward-door dark-colored Honda with an AR-style rifle, walked to the passenger side of the Range Rover, an open fire before fleeing.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Needless to say, the hunt was on for a forward-door dark-colored Honda with at least two
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: But as it turned out, Denver Police were already looking for a vehicle that matched that description because the occupants of that car had already been involved in a shooting just hours earlier.
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: A little over 24 hours before 32-year-old Pamela Cabrieles was shot to death in her car.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: According to a probable cause affidavit on February 19, 2021, at approximately 750 p.m., Denver Police Officers responded to a report of a shooting at the McDonald's on Alameda Avenue.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: When officers arrived, workers and McDonald's told them that a dark-colored Honda pulled up to the drive through window.
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: A man in that Honda got into a dispute with the employee that drive through.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's unclear exactly what that dispute was over, but nonetheless an unknown male exited the front passenger seat of the Honda and started to threaten employees inside the store by pointing a handgun at them.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: then the Honda pulled forward and three shots were fired into the restaurant.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thankfully, no one was injured and the dark colored Honda fled the scene.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we all know, McDonald's is loaded with surveillance cameras, and the license plate of the Honda had been captured live and in color.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Police had the plate number and plenty of photos of the car, to include the large dent on the driver side of the car.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when you know it, that Honda had been reported stolen out of Aurora, Colorado, and it had been involved in yet another shooting in Northeast Denver a day earlier on February 18.
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I could find no further details about that earlier shooting in Northeast Denver.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm guessing it's because Juvenile's were involved in it appears no one was injured.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: So just so we had this straight,
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Another at McDonald's on the 19th and on February 20th, Pamela was murdered on the streets of Denver.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Approximately an hour after Pamela had been murdered at 12 o'clock a.m. on February 21st, Denver Police Officer Katie Phillips spotted a dark-colored Ford or Honda traveling north on federal Boulevard.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: A dark-colored Honda with a large dent on the driver's side.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Officer Phillips recognized the car as being the same car that was involved in the McDonald shooting the day before.
• 7:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: It seems Officer Phillips hadn't even had time to be brief about the
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: But she saw the Honda recognize that it matched the description from the prior shooting and pulled out behind the vehicle.
• 7:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: She called it in, lit up the car with her lights and siren, but the driver didn't stop and instead hit the gas.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Two minutes into the chase, the suspect lost control of the car and crashed into a large wooden pole, knocked a fire hydrant off its base and slammed through a chainlink fence before landing in a residential front yard.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Three males jumped out of the car and took off on foot.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: DPD Metro SWAT and K9 units were called to the scene and it didn't take long before three suspects were apprehended.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: One male was found hiding in a shed and two others were located nearby.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Police also recovered 16 librarians of 22 caliber ammo and 1-2-2-3 shell on the floor of the shed.
• 8:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Two AR-15-style rifles were found in the back seat of the Honda.
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: The suspect hiding in the shed was identified as 18-year-old Nishan Johnson, and the two other were juveniles, one of whom to this day remains unnamed,
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: All three were arrested and taken in for questioning.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: 18-year-old Nishan Johnson initially denied any involvement, but court documents obtained by nine wants to know, revealed that ultimately, Johnson told investigators that he was driving on Colfax Avenue near I-25 with the two teenagers.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: 14-year-old Remy Cordoba was sitting in the passenger seat.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Johnson went on to say that they were rear-ended by another vehicle, and at that point Cordova asked him, and I quote, Can I bust on them?
• 9:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: According to Johnson, he replied, Do what you got to do, that's on you.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordova then got out of the car with an AR-15 and fired 15 to 20 shots into the car behind them.
• 9:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: As Johnson told the story, he made it sound as if he really had nothing to do with Pamela's murder.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I guess other than the fact that he was a getaway driver.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: However, that wasn't the story, the other juvenile in the car that night told, and as it turned out, according to the Denver Post, 18-year-old Nishan Johnson was a gang member, an east side
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela was murdered all because Cordoba wanted to impress other gang members.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of those gang members, of course, was Nishan Johnson.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And since Johnson was higher up on the gang totem pole, he was the one who gave the order for Cordoba to open fire.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordoba himself ultimately admitted in his interview that the murder wasn't facts so he could get street cred or whatever.
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: He stated to police that he was going to quote earned his stripes.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He bragged to police about his toy clarifying that he meant his AR-15.
• 10:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: An investigators noted that he appeared to have absolutely no shame or regret about the murder.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: On March 1, 2021, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced an oppress release that a 14-year-old juvenile, which of course was Remi Cordova, and 18-year-old Nishan Johnson had been charged with two counts of murder in the first degree, one count of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree with extreme indifference, and one count of criminal attempt to commit assault in the first degree.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: In addition, Johnson was charged with alluding, and Cordova had sentencing enhancement charges tacked on for being an aggravated juvenile offender.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: At just 14 years old, this wasn't even close to the first time Remi Cordova had been involved in a violent crime, and many believe that at the time Pamela was murdered, Cordova had no business being out there on the streets.
• 11:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: but he had repeatedly been released from juvenile detention.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: KTVB7 reported that Cordova had been released from juvenile custody at least three separate times for charges related to aggravated robberies.
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: The robberies getting their aggravated status because a weapon was used, allegedly of course.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you probably know, juvenile records are not typically made public, but sources told nine wants to know that Cordova had been released in late 2020 and early 2021.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordova was released in three separate counties, and Denver, Arapaho, and Jefferson counties.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela's brother, Alex Cabrieles, told CBS News that Córdoba was not in custody on the night he murdered his sister because he had been released on a juvenile weapon charged by a Denver Juvenile court judge.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you can imagine, this was infuriating and heartbreaking all at the same time for Pamela's family.
• 12:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Alex said to the outlet, I believe Judge Lori Clark should resign.
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no way she should be on the bench after having released him so that he could be out to murder my sister.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: He went on to say, My sister would be sitting right here with us.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: She let him out three times on aggravated cases with guns in Denver.
• 12:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordova had committed multiple violent crimes before murdering Pamela.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hell, he'd allegedly shot up a McDonald's in the hours before the murder.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: But time after time, he was released with nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and let back out on the streets to continue his reign of terror.
• 13:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the court system was about to fail the Cabriela's family again.
• 13:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Prosecutors reached a plea agreement with 18-year-old Nishon Johnson.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: He'd plead guilty to second-degree murder and would only have to serve seven years.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Seven years and the Colorado Youth Offender System.
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Cabriela's family was vehemently opposed to such a deal being made.
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela was gone and this clown was only going to have to serve seven years in prison.
• 13:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: People have served more time for having too many pot plants.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was almost too ridiculous to be believable, but it was happening.
• 13:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: At least it was happening until the judge shot it all down.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela's family made it known to the judge how they felt about a deal being offered, and Judge Christopher Baum and rejected the plea agreement.
• 13:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nishan Johnson was headed for trial.
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: That trial took place in the spring of 2023.
• 13:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, Johnson wasn't the one who had actually pulled the trigger.
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Everyone agreed that Remy Cordova was the shooter, but prosecutors told the jury that Johnson, who was already an established gang member, was the one who gave the 14-year-old the green light to commit the murder.
• 14:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: The other juvenile in the car that night, who, by the way, was never charged in this case, testified and told the jury that after their vehicle was bumped, Cordova Ash Johnson, can I bust on them?
• 14:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Johnson responded,
• 14:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: And further, Johnson was a goodaway driver.
• 14:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had assisted in Pamela's murder from the beginning all the way up to the point when the cuffs were slapped on.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Chief Deputy District Attorney Jake Friedberg stated, the reason that young woman is dead is because the defendant and his friends were trying to make a name for themselves within their community.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, Johnson threw his legal team had a whole different story.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: His story was that he hadn't given anyone permission to shoot anybody, and when Cordova asked if he could quote bust on them, he said, it don't matter and it's on you.
• 15:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Defense Attorney Nancy Holton claimed the shooting was not connected to gang status, and that Remi Cordova was out of control and violent for no reason.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: She stated,
• 15:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordoba was already steps ahead of any authority by Nishon Johnson.
• 15:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordoba's daddy was an OG, an original gangster.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: He already had lots of clout.
• 15:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: He didn't need anyone's permission.
• 15:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: She went on to say, this is absolutely not a gang shooting.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: The victim was a female.
• 15:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: She was what you would call a quote unquote innocent.
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: She was not affiliated with a gang in any way.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: This does not earn anyone's stripes.
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Nancy Holtin would be wrong about that, because Johnson's sure would earn some stripes.
• 15:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Only it would be the kind you get in prison, because the jury found a Sean Johnson guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted manslaughter, attempted assault, being an accessory to a crime and vehicular eluding.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, Johnson was in convicted of the most serious charges, like first-degree murder, but what he was convicted of was enough to earn him serious time.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: On June 30, 2023, Nishan Johnson was sentenced to 35 years in prison and 14 years of parole.
• 16:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Not long enough, if you ask me, but nobody ever asked me.
• 16:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Anyhow, with Johnson locked away in a Colorado prison, it was time to focus on 14-year-old Remi Cordova.
• 16:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: After Nishan Johnson was handed down a 35-year sentence, Remi Cordova was next up on the chopping block.
• 17:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Since he was a juvenile, the time the crime was committed, it would first need to be decided whether his case would be heard in juvenile or adult court.
• 17:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: That decision was pretty simple.
• 17:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Due to the severity of the crime, Cordova was transferred from the juvenile
• 17:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: and the fall of 2024 Cordova's trial began.
• 17:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: He of course was facing the same charges Johnson had faced, first a green murder and attempted first a green murder.
• 17:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that charge of attempted first a green murder is for the driver of the car that was stopped immediately behind Pamela's car.
• 17:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Bullets flew in their direction and put their lives in danger as well.
• 17:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Prosecutors told the jury that Rimey Kordova was trying to make a name for himself in the gang world, and that on that February 20th night, after Pamela's SUV tapped the back of that busted ass Honda.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordoba stepped out of the car, walked to the passenger side of Pamela's SUV, aimed the weapon at her and pulled the trigger.
• 18:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the safety was on, so he lowered the weapon, took the safety off, aimed and fired again, shooting at least seven times into the SUV.
• 18:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: He got back in the car, fired twice more at Pamela's vehicle, and then fled the scene.
• 18:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we know after the killing, Cordova bragged about his toy, said he was going to earn his stripes and had no remorse for anything he'd done.
• 18:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: When it came time for the defense, Cordova's lawyers tried to pin all the blame on the other 14-year-old in the car that night, who as it turned out was a long time friend of Cordova's.
• 18:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But police, nor prosecutors, had found any evidence to suggest that he was the one who
• 18:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, Cordova's hat.
• 18:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: He bragged about the murder in the interrogation room but claimed he was innocent when it came time to face his punishment.
• 18:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the jury didn't buy Cordova's new story.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: On November 1, 2024, Remi Cordova was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
• 19:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: A little over a month later on December 12, everyone was gathered back in the courtroom for sentencing.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordova still took a zero accountability for his actions at night.
• 19:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: He addressed the courtroom stating,
• 19:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: He then went on to address Pamela's family, stating in part, I want you all to know I really feel for y'all.
• 19:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I understand completely the pain you guys feel, but I cannot take responsibility for something that I did not do.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordoba's defense team pleaded for a lighter sentence, claiming that childhood trauma played a role in his actions that night.
• 19:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cordoba's family members testified about his life, telling the courtroom that his family had repeated contact with child-protective services over the years.
• 19:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Defense Attorney James Sorge stated, this is one of the times when you will see Victor next to Remi Cordoba's name, and then he began listing out alleged neglect and abuse reports starting soon after Cordoba was born.
• 20:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Through testimony it was revealed that Cordoba's father was murdered.
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: and in addition to his father's murder, his mother suffered from mental illness.
• 20:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Cordova's mother disputed some of the claims made.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: She stated, some of the things that were said in there were not true.
• 20:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some of the things were fabricated slightly.
• 20:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was a young mother.
• 20:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Things do happen.
• 20:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't have help.
• 20:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: She went on to say that Cordova was raised by a loving family and boulder county.
• 20:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: The judge, Judge Darrell Shockley, acknowledged the abuse court of a suffered as a small child.
• 20:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said in part, your life is tragic, the things that have happened to you that have been done to you should have never happened or been done to anyone.
• 20:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: But for prosecutors and Pamela's family, there was only one victim they were concerned within the courtroom that day, and understandably so.
• 21:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordova may have dealt with terrible abuse, but two things can be true.
• 21:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: He could be both a victim and a perpetrator.
• 21:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: His life may not have been easy, but he chose to pull the trigger that night, and there was no excuse for what he had done.
• 21:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Cabriela's family had their own trauma, both before and after Pamela's death.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pamela's brother Alex revealed that Pamela wasn't the first sibling he had lost violence.
• 21:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: As it turned out, their brother Noel had been murdered in 1994.
• 21:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: 9 News reported that on November 20, 1994, Noel who was just 15 years old at the time, was shot by 19-year-old Jesse Gonzalez.
• 21:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Gonzalez pulled a gun and shot Noel after he claimed Noel was trying to steal a dog in front of his home.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Alex told the outlet that no well loved dogs and would have never done anything to hurt one.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Gonzalez was initially charged with first-degree murder but offered a plea deal.
• 22:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: He pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
• 22:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: The crime occurred in 1994 and by 1998 Gonzalez was released.
• 22:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Math is hard, but that ain't even six years for the taking of a life.
• 22:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: At sentencing, Alex brought the focus back to Pamela and the pain his family had to live through.
• 22:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: He stated in part, "...I understand trauma.
• 22:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've been through some trauma ourselves.
• 22:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Very heavy trauma.
• 22:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I did not kill someone."
• 22:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: He went on to talk about the trauma Pamela's young son had endured.
• 22:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said.
• 22:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: He gets up in the middle of the night screaming and yelling,
• 22:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordova was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years for first-degree murder and eight years for first-degree attempted murder.
• 22:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: The sentences are to run consecutively.
• 23:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: But there's a chance that he could be released earlier.
• 23:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Under Colorado Law, because he was a juvenile convicted as an adult, he is eligible to ask for early parole.
• 23:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: After serving just 20 years, he may apply for a three-year program to get his G.E.D., and seek release after 23 years.
• 23:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Córdoba was just 14 years old when he so callously murdered Pamela Cabrieles.
• 23:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he succeeds in early parole, he will be in his late 30s when he walks out of prison.
• 23:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if he does the full time without early release, he'll likely be in his mid to late 50s when his time is served with a lot of life left in front of him.
• 23:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: All after taking the life of a mom who was just trying to get home after a girl's night out.
• 23:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is supposed to be justice, but it sure doesn't feel like justice.
• 23:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Both families had obviously suffered tragic circumstances in life and had to make a choice.
• 24:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordova chose to become violent and cruel.
• 24:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: While Pamela Cabrieles worked hard, made something of herself, and instead of becoming bitter in angry, she chose joy, peace, and love.
• 24:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: She was described by everyone as happy, loving, a great mom, sister, daughter, and friend, and that is exactly what she should be remembered for.
• 24:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: That my friends is all I've got this week.
• 24:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Be sure to join me next Thursday for an all new episode.
• 24:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram at least underscore of these or my Facebook at least of these podcasts.
• 24:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're sick of add interruptions, I've got good news for you.
• 24:40
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• 24:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as a member of Patreon, you'll be the first to be notified when new tiers will be launched
• 24:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: head on over to patreon.com slash least of these to support the show today.
• 24:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening.
• 24:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for caring.
• 25:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you know something, say something.
• 25:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And until next time, be good to each other.
• 25:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, here we go.
• 25:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remi Cordoba should never be released from prison and neither should Nishon Johnson.
• 25:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: At 14 years old, if he can shoot up a McDonald's, whatever the hell shooting happened before that, commit three aggravated rubories all at 14, what in the hell do you think is gonna happen when he's older and has prison time under his belt?
• 26:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Spoiler alert, it ain't gonna be nothing good.
• 26:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Throw him under the jail.
• 26:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't care that he was a juvenile.
• 26:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: This isn't a kid who made a mistake.
• 26:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is a kid who was on a reign of terror and had zero remorse after shooting a woman in the head for absolutely no reason.
• 26:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: He didn't know her.
• 26:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was a damn fender vendor and really?
• 26:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: That had nothing to do with it.
• 26:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: In my opinion, he was looking to kill someone so he could impress a gang, which is so stupid.
• 26:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, you're so impressive.
• 26:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: You shot an unarmed woman.
• 26:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's super tough.
• 26:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And let me just hop up on this soap box.
• 26:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've heard people say it so many times that it literally drives me crazy, but that gangs have codes.
• 26:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the defense attorney handed to that in Johnson's
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let me tell you that, yes, they would, and they did, and there isn't no real code.
• 27:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I know this from firsthand experience working as an advocate and a high-crime area with a ton of gang activity.
• 27:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is no code.
• 27:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: They will murder, rape, kill, steal from man, woman, and child.
• 27:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Their own mama's.
• 27:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: The whole gang code is just something to make them sound tough and not like the little bitches that they really are.
• 27:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some people just belong in prison and both of these clowns are exactly where they belong and where they should stay for the rest of ever.
• 27:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can't rehabilitate evil, you just can't.
• 27:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Only God can do that and we're not God, so off the prison you go.
• 27:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're that solace of a monster at 14, it's a pretty good bet that you're going to be even more dangerous as you get older.
• 27:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: was Cordova's life tragic?
• 27:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yep, it was.
• 27:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He didn't deserve all the things that happened to him as a small child.
• 28:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I totally believe his life was messed up.
• 28:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that's not an excuse whether you're 14 or 40.
• 28:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: People live through tragic life circumstances every single day, but they don't go around murdering people.
• 28:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a choice he made, and now he has to suffer the consequences.
• 28:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if it was up to me,
• 28:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's about all I got to say about that.
• 28:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: You all know I love you more of my luggage, and I can't wait to talk to you next week.
• 28:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: But until then, bye-bye-bye-bye.