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Man gets 25 years for killing son-in-law in western Colorado

Posted at 10:10 PM, Jun 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-08 00:10:04-04

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A man who shot his son-in-law to death in western Colorado has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports 47-year-old Michael Montgomery was sentenced Thursday for the March 2017 shooting of 28-year-old Christopher Gallegos at an apartment complex in Rifle. Montgomery was convicted of second-degree murder.

He testified he went to the complex to confront another man and brought gloves with him because "more than likely I was going to get into a fight." He said he was scared for his life when Gallegos exited the complex and said, "I have a gun, too."

Prosecutors say the fact that Montgomery brought gloves with him showed intent and that getting rid of the gun showed he knew he did something wrong. He was arrested in Oregon in September 2017.