Man sentenced to life for killing gas station manager in 2021

Published on June 10, 2025

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Greeley man will spend the rest of his natural life in prison for shooting and killing a gas station manager during an armed robbery in 2021.

On Monday, a Weld County jury convicted 31-year-old Kyle Moore of multiple charges, including first-degree murder and aggravated robbery, in connection to the deadly incident at the Cosmic Market gas station in Greeley.

Following the verdict, Weld County District Court Judge Marcelo Kopcow sentenced Moore Monday to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 64 years behind bars.

“You committed the ultimate crime of taking another person’s life,” Judge Kopcow said during Monday’s sentencing hearing. “Someone who did nothing to you.”

The shooting happened on December 14, 2021. Greeley police responded to a report of an armed man attempting to steal a vehicle at the gas station on 23rd Avenue. Officers arrived to find the store manager, 51-year-old Victor Martinez, had been shot during the attempted robbery.

Martinez was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from a gunshot wound.

“This was senseless,” Deputy District Attorney Timothy McCormack said. “This defendant has shown a complete disregard for human life. It’s heartbreaking that the victim’s family now must live with a life sentence of grief and loss. Mr. Martinez was simply doing his job – trying to earn a living – when his life was cruelly taken from him.”

Moore’s co-defendant, Trent O’Neil, pled guilty in 2023 to second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, and third-degree assault.

O’Neil was sentenced to 55 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

“Now that these two defendants are behind bars, our community is undoubtedly safer,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Patrick Roche said. “Although justice has been served for Mr. Martinez and his grieving family, no sentence can change the heartbreaking truth that his life was senselessly taken by these defendants. We hope this case sends a clear message that such cruel and violent behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”