52 Years For Colo. Man Who Stabbed Woman, Beat Her With Shovel

GREELEY, CO – A Weld County man found guilty of stabbing a former girlfriend 23 times and then beating her with a shovel was sentenced to 52 years in prison.

In May, a jury found John Cordova, 43, guilty of two counts of first-degree assault for the attack that happened on a rural piece of land outside Hudson west of Fort Lupton on Sep. 25, 2016.

It was a "miracle the victim survived," said Benjamin Whitney, Weld Councty chief deputy district attorney. Tricia Jones, 42, has limited use of the right side of her body because of severe nerve damage and is also re-learning to speak, Whitney said in a statement.

“The life she had before this crime no longer exists for her,” Whitney said. “Her goals, aspirations or anything in life that she strived for have been robbed from her.”

Cordova allegedly was covered in blood and laughing after he stabbed Jones 23 times, as reported in the Greeley Tribune. The two had been staying on the 30-acre property of Hudson resident James Phillips. Jones and Cordova had formerly been romantically involved, a friend told police.

Phillips told police he grabbed a wooden board and hit Cordova with it to break up the fight as Cordova stabbed Jones. Shortly thereafter, another man told police he saw Jones lying on the ground and Cordova beating her and stabbing at her head with a shovel, according to the police affidavit. The second witness called 911 and beat Cordova with a rake to get him to stop, he told police. The two attacked Cordova with the board and rake. Cordova "kept laughing as he stabbed Jones with the shovel," the Tribune reported.

On the property, police recovered numerous stolen cars and methamphetamine, the police affidavit said.

In May, a jury found Cordova guilty of two counts of assault, but not attempted first-degree murder, as prosecutors had hoped.

Nevertheless, Weld County District Court Judge Shannon Lyons sentenced him to a more lengthy sentence than the minimum 10-34 years in the state's sentencing guidelines.

Image via Weld County District Attorney's Office

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