The jury listens to opening statements in 2021 Homicide case of Arsonal Greley-Peeley Tribune

A Weld County jury had a first glance on Thursday on what happened on an October night in 2022 who resulted in a man from Greley -dead with multiple white weapon wounds on his neck, left to burn inside his own home.

Prosecutors painted a clear image of how they believe that Stacy Rodríguez, 23, along with his former coacusada and ex -girlfriend Hosanna Varela, 26, killed Chris Dickerson, 35, and burned his house in an attempt to cover the murder.

The defense had a different count of events, arguing that Dickerson invited the two young women to their home and made them feel so threatened that Rodriguez stabbed him in self -defense.

Rodríguez faces first degree murder charges after deliberation, second -degree robbery, a fire caused in the first degree and manipulation of a deceased human body, according to the records of the Colorado court. He declared himself innocent of all the positions on May 6, 2024.

Varela signed a guilt in November, declaring himself guilty of fire charges caused by first degree, manipulating tests and accessories to the murder, according to the records. It was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with the opportunity to reduce that sentence with truthful testimony against Rodríguez.

The case goes back at dawn on October 3, 2021, when a person he called reported a great fire in the 2400 block of 15th Avenue Court and believed that Dickerson, who lived there, was still inside.

The police found the house wrapped in flames and Dickerson’s body burned beyond recognition on the front floor near the entrance. The records show that Dickerson suffered stab wounds in the neck before the fire began, and the Weld county office ruled his death as homicide.

Greley’s police arrested both women on November 11, 2021, just over a month after Dickerson was found dead.

The deputy attorney of the Deputy District Michael Pirraglia spent most of his time on Thursday morning painting a previous timeline and immediately after Dickerson’s death. Visit the next testimony, showed telephone records, location data and multiple clips of security camera images to present the events that bleed in the morning of October 3.

He detailed how Rodríguez and Varela met Dickerson in the center of the night of October 2, before following him home for what was described as a “later party.” The two stayed for a while, then they left, taking Dickerson’s phone with them, Pirraglia said.

After driving for a short time, Pirraglia said that the two returned and Rodríguez, who was in the passenger seat, returned home. He showed a video of fire in the house inside the house and smoke spilling a window when Rodríguez came out calmly from the house and returned to the car.

The defense argument focused on the pressure that all those involved in the case were low, mainly Rodríguez and Varela, who, according to the defense, had made decisions divided into what they thought it was a life or death situation.

“Sometimes, the pressure of such an insurmountable situation that nobody knows how to deal with her,” said defending lawyer Samantha Deveraux. “That does not mean that the actions are correct. It does not mean that another person in that same position would have acted in the same way. But sometimes, the worst happens and a drastic measure of pure panic is removed. ”

Deveraux also touched pressure researchers to find someone guilty, and how they failed to follow those far away from what she claimed was fear of discovering that they were on the wrong way. He added that the same pressure now falls on prosecutors to issue a guilt verdict.

Although Varela is no longer coacked, both arguments focused largely on what he has said, and what he will say during the trial.

Pirraglia said that the jury will listen to Varela detail how Rodríguez was the aggressor in almost all interactions with Dickerson, and that he was pleading with the two who left their home. He added that she will talk about how she never felt in danger of being hurt while she was in Dickerson’s house.

“There was no need to kill him,” Pirralia said. “There was no need. And yet, Stacy Rodríguez did it.

Deveraux threw any testimony that Varela will give, saying that it is also under pressure. Pressure of his friends and family, and also of herself, to offer testimonies that will shorten their prayer, whether the absolute truth or not.

“Yes, she is fulfilling a prison sentence, but if she comes here and testifies how they want to do so, maybe it will be reduced?” Devereaux said with a shoulder shrink. “That is a benefit.”

Deveraux also pointed out anticipated discrepancies between what Varela told a detective in a seven -hour conversation on June 8, 2022, and what he expects Varela to tell the court in next week.

In that teacher, Deveraux said that Varela told a detective that “he felt uncomfortable” in Dickerson’s house because he was sexually harassing her and that he, at one time, cornered Rodriguez and did not allow him to move.

Near the end of his statements, Pirraglia discussed a note that Rodriguez had written to Varela in a paper towel and passed to Weld County prison.

In the note, Rodríguez told Varela “Don’t Be Stupid, Play Dumb” and said how he hoped Varela would have “maintained the same story,” Pirraglia said.

At the bottom, Rodríguez told Varela to rinse the note when he finished reading it, he added.

Rodríguez’s trial continues on Friday and is scheduled to conclude on March 7.

Originally published: February 27, 2025 at 4:45 pm mst