AutoZone Shooter Gets Life In Prison

A plea deal was reached Friday for murder defendant Edward Coffey, aka Ernest Michael Schmidt.

Coffey, 61, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping and assault. One man was killed and another injured in the shooting at the AutoZone at 5792 Palmer Park Blvd. that happened July 27.

A judge sentenced Coffey to life in prison without parole, plus 112 years.

Prosecutors said Coffey shot and killed Joaquin Paniagua, 39, of Colorado Springs, in a botched robbery.

The surviving shooting victim, Donald LaRoe, 54, told police he went inside the AutoZone to get a part for a vehicle he was working on. When he returned to his van, Coffey was in the back seat with a gun pointed at Laroe, police said. LaRoe said the Coffey demanded LaRoe’s cellphone and wallet, but LaRoe refused.

According to court records, LaRoe was shot once and then hit in the head with the pistol. LaRoe was transported to a hospital where he had emergency surgery.

A third victim, Jose Luis Berrospe-Garcia, told police he was kidnapped at gunpoint but was uninjured.

LaRoe did not appear at Friday’s sentencing but his wife and daughter did, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Donna Billek. She said LaRoe’s family seemed relieved at the outcome.

Billek also said Coffey apologized for the shooting, blaming the crime on the state Department of Corrections for not helping him transition back to civilian life after a previous prison sentence.

Two women, including Coffey’s wife, are scheduled for trial on charges of being an accessory to murder.