DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A man convicted of killing a Colorado U.S. Air Force member in a drunk driving crash in August of last year will spend the rest of his days in prison, a Douglas County judge ruled Thursday.
Paul Stephenson, 57, was found guilty of nearly a dozen counts back in April for the drunk driving crash that killed 39-year-old U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Anderson.
Prosecutors said Anderson and his family were coming home from the last day of the Douglas County Fair on Aug. 4, 2024, when Stephenson crashed into Anderson’s vehicle, which was stopped at a 7-Eleven gas pump on Plum Creek Parkway in Castle Rock as Anderson’s wife was going inside the store to get popsicles for the family.
Anderson and three of his children suffered injuries in the crash and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Anderson later died at the hospital.
Judge Victoria Klingensmith, in handing down the sentence, said she was baffled at how Stephenson had “not shown one ounce of empathy for the Anderson family and what you have put them through.”
Stephenson, who showed little remorse for what he did, told the judge before sentencing that he did not think he received a fair trial, saying he was just sorry they were all there.
“I don’t know these people,” Stephenson said. “It was a terrible accident.”
- Denver7 was there when the trial against Stephenson began earlier this year. Watch a recap of the first day of the trial in the video player below:
Stephenson’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was determined to be nearly three times the legal limit at the time of the crash, “the equivalent of eight-and-a-half shots of whiskey,” according to 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler.
When questioned by police a day after the crash, Stephenson said he was headed toward Seven Star Liquor to purchase more alcohol after admitting he had consumed two beers and a pint of Fireball whiskey prior to the crash, but that he changed his mind because “he knew better,” according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
“This was arguably an intentional act,” Judge Klingensmith said.
The lifelong sentence handed down by Klingensmith will run consecutively to four counts of attempted murder and one count of child abuse. He was also sentenced on several other counts, including assault, criminal mischief and DUI.
In all, Stephenson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus 92 years.
Family, co-workers remember ‘a man no longer with us’
Before sentencing on Thursday, Anderson’s family, as well as his co-workers, spoke of a man who represented “the very best of our nation.”
Lt. Colonel Francisco Guzman, Anderson’s commanding officer, described Anderson as someone who believed “each of us has a duty to family, community and nation.”
Guzman told the judge he and his co-workers now face the reality that Anderson is no longer with them due to “an avoidable decision” made by Stephenson that afternoon in 2024.
“We can, and we must affirm that justice still means something in this country,” Guzman told the judge. “Stephenson must be held accountable. Responsibility matters.”
Castle Rock Police Department Officer Tyler Yowell recounted the traumatic moments the family went through following the crash, saying through tears how he remembered one of the children saying, “My daddy died, he can’t play with me anymore.”
“We find ourselves getting fuel without our family, and also thinking about which fuel pump we're going to use in relationship to roadways nearby," Yowell said.
Anderson’s sisters, Tara King and Jill Anderson, spoke of their baby brother, who made them proud for his academic and athletic achievements earlier in life. They also spoke of his amazing career in the U.S. Air Force. Little did they know that he was in grave danger “from someone that made a decision to have no regard for human life."
From her part, Allison Anderson, Matthew’s widow, told the court memories of her late husband’s face the day of the crash still haunt her to this day.
“I’m praying he never harms anyone ever again,” Allison said.
Stephenson was ‘no stranger to the justice system'
In closing arguments, the prosecution made the case why Stephenson was deserving of the maximum sentence by showing video of the crash and bodycam footage of the aftermath, in which Anderson’s wife and kids can be seen screaming and crying following the crash, asking if their dad was going to be OK and saying they were scared.
“He's no stranger to the criminal justice system. He's just a stranger to consequences,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Nate Marsh, as he cited Stephenson’s previous run-ins with the law for theft, domestic violence, DUI and harassment charges.
“We’ve tried rehabilitation at least four times before, court-ordered, and it hasn't worked. It's still a joke to him," said Marsh.
