UPDATE: Man sentenced in sex-assault cold case

A judge has issued the maximum sentence for a man who has pleaded guilty in a sex-assault case from 18 years ago.

A judge sentenced Atlantis Gibby Michaelson to eight years. Michaelson pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the first degree.

Police said that in March of 1997, a woman was sexually assaulted after leaving a local bar and grill. The victim met a man at the bar and accepted a ride home with him, police said. The man drove her to the parking lot of her apartment and asked her to come inside. Police said that when the victim declined, the man became angry and sexually assaulted her in his vehicle.

Forensic evidence was collected from the victim, however no suspect was identified at the time.

In 2012 the case was reviewed by a CSPD cold case investigator. The forensic evidence was resubmitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for additional DNA analysis using new methodology. A DNA profile was entered into the FBI database, where it was checked for a match.

Investigators were able to identify Michaelson as the suspect. At the time, Michaelson was incarcerated at a federal penitentiary in Virginia and was due to be released in December 2012, police said. An arrest warrant was issued for Michaelson and he was arrested upon his release from the prison in December.

The victim told the judge Thursday that the sexual assault has impacted her life and her family. She initially did not want to testify in court because she didn’t want Michaelson to hear her voice. She later changed her mind and was commended by the judge for speaking out.

Michaelson said he did not remember the victim or much from that night.

“I think that I was a young man and I am a different person today,” said Michaelson to the judge. “I’ve made some bad choices and I have paid for those choices.”

The victim’s daughter, Alyssa Blazer, was 6 years old when the assault happened.

“Saying he doesn’t even remember that night, just shows he is obviously doing it so many times he doesn’t even remember, or something is wrong with him. For him not to remember that when it has affected someone’s whole life, I don’t think eight years is enough,” said Balzer.

Michaelson was also sentenced to 12 months for obstructing an officer in a different case.