Judge hands down two life-sentences to man who murdered couple
Published on November 12, 2021
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Weld County district court judge handed down two consecutive life sentences to a man Friday morning, after a jury convicted him Wednesday of a double homicide.
William Joseph Roberts, 55, was found guilty of brutally murdering Deborah and Ruben Vallejos at their Weld County home in June of 2019. The couple was letting the defendant live with them at the time of their murders.
“These people stepped in and helped him out and this is how he repaid them,” Deputy District Attorney Yvette Guthrie said during Friday’s sentencing hearing. “He stole two lives and forever changed their family. Nothing will ever bring these victims back, but I think justice in this case is two consecutive life sentences.”
Deputies were called to the couple’s home in June of 2019, after Ruben’s sister said she couldn’t get a hold of her brother for several days.
When deputies arrived, they found Deborah on the floor dead, covered by a blanket and in a pool of blood. Ruben was found dead in his bed, and he was also covered by a blanket. Roberts beat both victims with a pipe, and they both died from blunt force trauma to the head.
The defendant got in an argument with the couple, and said that Deborah was “mean,” and said that he killed Ruben because he wanted to “put him out of his misery.”
“I don’t have the strength or the wisdom to even find the right words to convey my condolences to the victims’ family here today,” Weld District Court Judge Timothy Kerns said during Friday’s sentencing hearing. “It’s just heartbreaking. It’s senseless to not choose other alternatives to handle the matter. Life is precious which is why the legislature has made it clear that if you engage in first-degree murder, you’ll never leave prison.”
The defendant was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Deputy District Attorneys Yvette Guthrie and Lillie Parker prosecuted this case.