King Soopers gunman sentenced to life without parole in emotional Boulder courtroom as victims’ families share grief and heartbreak

Read all of Boulder Reporting Lab’s coverage of the trial.

The families of the victims in the King Soopers shooting streamed down the Boulder County Justice Center hallway on Monday afternoon, lined with officers, in a solemn procession. Deep breaths, stress balls and tissues were at the ready.

The jury took two half-day sessions to come to an agreement: guilty on all 55 counts, deciding against the argument that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa’s schizophrenia rendered him insane on the day of the attack.

As Boulder County District Judge Ingrid Bakke listed the charges and verdicts, with victim names associated with each, relatives and friends sighed, holding back tears of relief. Slain police officer Eric Talley’s sister, who attended the trial, held up her hand in praise and nodded to the jury. Next to her, Talley’s best friend squeezed a stress ball, face red and burning as he held back emotion.

As the counts were read, Alissa briefly looked behind him at the families, with no obvious emotion, just his regular, fidgety nail-biting. Some of his family members, two brothers and his mother, sat behind him, looking resigned.

One juror, an older woman, looked emotionally at the victims’ families, holding back tears as the initial verdicts were read.

After the verdicts were read, each juror was polled to confirm they agreed. All did.

During a break before sentencing, Alissa’s mother and two brothers let out their sorrow, slowly making their way out of the room and into a waiting room for the defense.

Both parties agreed that immediate sentencing was preferable.

‘The process that just took place is justice’: Judge Bakke sentences Alissa to life in prison

The court wasted no time getting Alissa into his orange-and-white striped inmate uniform. After a break following the verdict and before sentencing, he was brought back in cuffs, now officially a prisoner. His family did not return. The jury was dismissed.

Alissa will receive a life sentence for each murder, with no possibility of parole. He will receive 48 years for each count of attempted murder, including two 48-year sentences for Christopher Tatum, who re-entered the store to save others. The attempted murder charges against peace officers also carry 48 years each. He will receive 32 years for each count of assault with extreme indifference and one year for each count of carrying six large-capacity magazines.

Before sentencing, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty emphasized the significance of the attempted murder charges, noting that 15 people narrowly escaped death that day. He asked Judge Bakke for the maximum penalty on all charges, including a life sentence for each of the 10 murders plus 1,334 years for all the other charges. “It’s just a number, but to me, that number means a lot,” he said.

“When I signed up to be a judge, they gave us no instructions for this type of case,” Judge Bakke said. “Unfortunately, that day has come.” She added that judges need training for sentencing cases with so many victims. She also noted that two mass shootings occurred during the trial.

She thanked both legal teams, saying, “The process that just took place is justice.”

Families share their heartbreak and memories of loved ones lost, one by one

Before sentencing, victims’ loved ones gave emotional, articulate statements about each murder victim. Standing just feet away from the man who killed their family members, they shared their grief, like a mass funeral.

Dougherty stood with Nikolina Stanisic, Neven’s sister, as she delivered the first victim impact statement. She said Neven was not just a statistic from a mass shooting. He was born a year after their parents immigrated from Serbia. “Neven was their first joy, first happiness, first sadness, and heartbreak.” She recalled watching the news for seven hours, trying to learn if he had died. The night before the shooting, Neven had taken her for ice cream — the last time she saw him. “We hope you suffer for the rest of your life. You are a coward,” she said.

Ellen Mahoney, Kevin’s wife, spoke more optimistically. “Love is always there for us. Love takes our hand when we are lost and afraid. And love was definitely there that day,” she said, referring to the civilians and officers who helped.

Kevin’s daughter, Erika, also spoke. She was on the air as a news director at an NPR station when she got the call, pregnant at the time. “I thought I was going to lose my baby, that’s how upset I was.” She described her father as a “rule follower,” returning the shopping cart like everyone should. She spoke of her panic attacks, saying, “Living like that sucks. It sucks the life out of you.” She was upset when the defense attorney claimed words couldn’t express the pain and suffering. “What about ‘sorry’?” she asked.

Star Bartkowiak, Tralona’s mother, spoke through tears, with a man standing beside her, rubbing her back. While trying to find out what happened to her daughter, she was told to call the coroner’s office. “No, I will not do that,” she said. It took months to realize it wasn’t just a bad dream. “There is always an emptiness that is unspoken.”

Lori Olds, Rikki’s aunt, spoke softly about her niece, who the family cared for after her mother was unable to. “Her first word was ‘oh shit,’ and it stuck with her all her life … Come to think of it, it might have been her last word too.”

Rikki’s uncle read a statement from her grandmother and then one of his own. “We never knew what color Rikki’s hair would be, or what new tattoo she’d have.” He spoke directly to Alissa, citing “thou shalt not kill” and naming the victims. He criticized The Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, claiming Alissa had been faking symptoms since his arrest.

Lisa Allen, Denny Stong’s mother, worked at King Soopers the day her son was killed. She said he was on his way to becoming a pilot. “He was going to fly us everywhere.”

Olivia Mackenzie, Lynn Murray’s daughter, said that during the first year after the shooting, she couldn’t even get off the floor to write a victim statement. By year three, she wanted to focus on her mother. “She had no judgment, no ego. She was just cool.”

Margie Whittington, Teri Leiker’s mother, spoke about her daughter’s life. Teri, born with mild brain damage due to an anesthetic given during surgery, worked at King Soopers for 32 years. “Life after Teri has been devastating, but we are not devastated. Love is forever.”

A friend of Jody Waters read messages written by Jody’s daughters. “I can only hope she is laughing in a field of wildflowers today. Happy birthday, Mom.” After waiting so long for this moment, she asked, “What do we do now?”

Dougherty read a brief statement for Suzanne Fountain, as her family was unable to stay.

Judy Talley, the mother of Eric Talley, said, “Or ‘Mommy,’ as he called me for all 51 years of his life.” She recalled the “free to be you” theme of the 1960s around the time when Eric was born, adding that perhaps Alissa’s family forgot to teach him that there are consequences. She expressed frustration that the defense attorneys hadn’t conveyed that to him either. “Thanks to Ahmad Alissa and that video, I saw my son take his last breath. I think even a nod would’ve been helpful.” She called Eric’s family “the Talley litter” because he had seven children. One of his kids had asked her, “Is that evil monster going to get out of jail and come kill Mommy?”

Eric’s father, from Texas, spoke of his faith, noting his God was different from “the convicted’s.” He said he asked his God why this happened and received one word: “forgive.” “My heart became black,” he said. “Justice is a matter of law; forgiveness is a matter of the heart.”

Eric’s sister, Kirsten Brooks, visited his grave before the courthouse. “I’m not my brother. I was never as brave as Eric,” she said. A licensed mental health professional, she works with clients who have schizophrenia. She reflected, “Although it makes no sense, that day was Eric’s day. It was his stop.” She said she has to remind herself that her clients are not the man who killed her brother, adding that she doesn’t forgive Alissa because “I don’t see a conscience in this man.”

Retired Boulder Police Officer Trudy Hunter, who was close with Talley, spoke from a law enforcement perspective. She noted how many officers retired or were diagnosed with PTSD after the shooting, including herself.

More of Talley’s family spoke, including one of his daughters. “He will never interrogate my first boyfriend like he always said he would.”

Finally, Eric’s wife, Lia Talley, submitted her statement: “This is not an act of hate. It is an act of justice. He must bear the weight of his actions.”

Dougherty read three additional statements from survivors named as attempted murder victims.

Boulder Reporting Lab provided daily updates from the courthouse since jury selection began on Aug. 26, 2024, in People of the State of Colorado v. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa in Boulder County District Court. You can find updates from the first week of the trial here. Week 2 is here. Week 3 is here. Week 4 is here. Read all of Boulder Reporting Lab’s coverage of the trial.