Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that he is pardoning 35 people and commuting the sentences of nine others, including former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who he is making eligible for parole on June 1, cutting in half her nearly nine year sentence for orchestrating a security breach of her county’s election system in 2021.
Three of the men receiving commutations were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 1990s and early 2000s: Joseph Aguayo, convicted of felony murder, Eugene Gilbert, convicted of first-degree murder and Mondo Moralez, convicted of first-degree murder, according to Polis.
Aguayo will be eligible for parole in 2033, Polis said, Gilbert in 2027 and Morales in 2043.
The Mountain Ear newspaper reported that Aguayo did not pull the trigger in the 1991 murder of Rex Miller in Rollinsville, a small town along Colorado 119 between Nederland and Black Hawk, but was present for it, the crime known as felony murder.
In 2021, Polis signed a law reducing the sentencing standard for people convicted of felony murder, bringing it down from life without parole to a sentence of between 16 and 48 years in prison.
“We’ve changed that, but that doesn’t retroactively change it for people,” Polis said.
Polis described Gilbert as a minister and a “model inmate,” adding that he is also legally blind. Polis said Morales killed someone who had raped his niece. The governor described the murder as a “crime of passion” and a “terrible situation.”
“Terrible crime, but you understand the motivation,” Polis said.
In addition to Peters, Polis is releasing these people on parole on June 1:
- Matthew Aldaz
- Conrad Harrell
- Brandin Kreuzer
- Richard Sandbom
- Wendell Weaver
The governor granted pardons Friday for the following people:
- Louise Almanzan
- Tomas Arellanes
- Denise Barber
- Shawn Bishop
- Robert Bunn
- Rachel Byers
- Alan Davis
- Lanette Denton
- Sasha Froyland
- Raymond Grau
- Samuel Hernandez
- Michael Hock
- William Hood
- Sheriece Hurd
- David Johnson
- Erin Kalteich
- Todd McAllister
- Haydee McBride
- Mark McGuire
- Brian Neafus
- Matthew Neptune
- Ahn Nguyen
- Melva Pitts
- Anna Reyes-Lucero
- Kristin Robledo
- Edward Sanchez
- Sean Sanger
- James Tallo
- Robert Vanasse
- Kim Velasquez
- Alexander Vucasovich
- Joshua Wetzel
- Patricia Woods
- Robert Worrall II
- Justin Young
Polis said this is not his last round of commutations and pardons. He extended the deadline to apply until April 3 and is still reviewing hundreds of applications, he said.
Polis has pardoned people every year since he took office in 2019. He issued 22 pardons and commuted the sentences of four people last year.
Colorado Sun Reporter Jesse Paul contributed to this story.
This is a developing story that will be updated.