Meth user who killed Fort Carson captain gets 74 years in prison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The man who fatally shot an Army captain in Colorado Springs in September of 2018 because he thought someone was following him has been sentenced to 74 years in prison.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced that Gilberto Chavez, Jr., 28, was sentenced Friday after being found guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of Fort Carson Capt. Daniel Lehman.

Lehman was killed on Sept. 15, 2018 while walking in downtown Colorado Springs. A jury found him guilty on Oct. 8, 2019, a year after police found the murder weapon during a search.

According to an affidavit for the arrest warrant, Chavez was walking down a street in Colorado Springs while high on methamphetamine and on very little sleep when he thought someone was following behind him. That's when Chavez pulled out a .22-caliber gun and shot Lehman in the torso.

Seven minutes after Lehman was shot dead, Chavez sent a text message to his fiancee, Tiffany Martin, saying, “Babe I just got this guy.” Chavez also made multiple messages saying he “got a body” and told Martin that “there was no way people would find out that it was him, and there was no evidence.”

A break came when an anonymous tip was called into Crime Stoppers saying that Chavez shot Lehman and then fled the state to stay with family members in California.

Police began digging into the tip and found a phone call from the day of the shooting, and the caller said that Chavez was walking the streets, “armed with a gun, and claiming that people were following him.”

After obtaining phone records, police found the messages sent by Chavez to Martin and others, including his sister. Chavez also referred to himself and Martin as “Bonnie and Clyde” in several messages, and police found out that Chavez was staying at Martin’s apartment before the shooting.

Police say that Chavez and Martin got into a small argument before Chavez left and started walking through the streets in the early morning hours before the shooting happened.

Chavez sent messages saying he was “sitting at Mary’s,” referring to his sister’s house. He noted seeing police and told Martin, “Well I guess you will see me on the news.”

Lehman left Bar K shortly before 2 a.m. and began walking eastbound; minutes later, Chavez made a call to Martin and then sent the aforementioned text messages about getting a body. He then sent messages to friends on Facebook asking for their help.

Hours after Lehman’s body was found, Chavez sent Martin a message saying “We really gonna have to talk [please], I’m waiting on my sister to get here then I’m gonna turn myself in, so if you want to see me the time is like soon.”

On Oct. 8, 2018, police searched Chavez’s sister’s house and found a .22 caliber Heritage six-shot revolver with five empty casings and one live round of ammunition inside the chamber. Officers believe this was the gun used in the shooting.

Police contacted Chavez on Oct. 9 and took photographs of him and his tattoos. He was hesitant to share all of his tattoos, and police believe that’s because of one of his newest pieces of ink.

“The new tattoo depicted an outline of a body as if it were part of a crime scene,” according to the affidavit. “Written in red ink, in all capital letters through the body, was the word ‘INVESTIGATION.'”

Police believe that tattoo is a bragging reference to Lehman’s homicide. Since the homicide, Chavez has also changed his Facebook name from Gilbert Chavez to “Gillythekid Chavez,” a reference to Billy the Kid.

During Chavez's sentencing, Judge William Bain heard from Lehman's family members, who described Lehman as a "humble genius, a dedicated military intelligence officer" and said he was "irreplaceable."

Judge Bain referenced Chavez's tattoo, and said, "I find, Mr. Chavez, you killed for fun and celebrated by putting a tattoo on your back. The harm you caused will never wane."